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Words Kanji Guides About

悔い改める (くいあらためる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

悔くい改あらためる

く

い

あ

ら

た

め

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, transitive verb

repent; be penitent

Often used in religious or moral contexts for sincere regret and turning away from wrongdoing.

彼かれは自じ分ぶんの過あやまちを悔くい改あらためた。
He repented of his mistakes.
罪つみを悔くい改あらためて、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 sins and began a new life.

Written forms

悔くい改あらためるUsage93%
Standard kanji spelling.
悔くい改あらためるUsage6%
Abbreviated kanji form; less common.
くいあらためるUsage2%

Kanji

悔repent, regret
改reformation, change, modify

Similar words

後こう悔かいする
後悔する is general regret, while 悔い改める implies a moral or religious turning away from wrongdoing.
反はん省せいする
反省する means to reflect on one's actions, often with a sense of self-criticism, but not necessarily the deep moral change implied by 悔い改める.

Etymology

Compound of 悔い (regret) and 改める (to reform, change). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys the idea of reforming oneself out of regret.