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悔い改め (くいあらため) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
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い
改あらた
め
、
新あたら
しい
人じん
生せい
を
歩あゆ
み
始はじ
め
た
。
He repented of his mistakes and began a new life.
Kanji 改 reformation, change, modify Related words 後こう 悔かい 後悔 is general regret about past actions, while 悔い改め implies a deeper moral turning away and change of behavior.
反はん 省せい 反省 is reflection on one's actions, often with a sense of self-criticism, but does not necessarily carry the same weight of moral transformation as 悔い改め.
Written forms 悔く い 改あらた め Usage 100%
Standard spelling using both kanji.
悔くい 改あらた め
Variant spelling omitting the okurigana い; less common but attested.
Etymology Compound of 悔い (regret) and 改め (reform, change), from the verbs 悔いる and 改める. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally expresses the concept of repentant change.
