脱骨换胎

脫骨換胎

tuōgǔhuàntāi

idiom

Meanings

1 to shed one's bones and exchange one's body
2 (Daoist) to be reborn as an immortal
3 (figurative) to undergo a complete transformation; to turn over a new leaf

Characters

to shed, take off

Examples

经过这次磨难，他仿佛脱骨换胎，整个人都变了。

Jīngguò zhè cì mónàn, tā fǎngfú tuōgǔhuàntāi, zhěnggè rén dōu biàn le.

After that ordeal he seemed completely transformed — like a different person.

公司经过改革，几乎是脱骨换胎，焕然一新。

Gōngsī jīngguò gǎigé, jīhū shì tuōgǔhuàntāi, huànrányīxīn.

After the reforms, the company was almost reborn — completely renewed.

Tips

history

Originally a Daoist (道教) image: an aspiring immortal sheds the mortal body to take on an immortal one. The more famous variant is 脱胎换骨 (tuōtāihuàngǔ), with the same meaning and the same Daoist source.

usage

Marks transformation so deep the person/thing is essentially new. Pair it with 焕然一新 (huànrányīxīn 'taking on a brand-new look') as a stock follow-up.

Stroke Order

脱 tuō

骨 gǔ

换 huàn

胎 tāi