修改
xiūgǎi · HSK 3
to amend; to alter
✏️ 修 = repair/cultivate + 改 = change; together: revise or amend
修 carries the sense of fixing or refining (as in 修理 repair), and 改 means to change or alter (as in 改变 change). Combined, 修改 is the act of editing text or plans — touching something up and changing it.
修 — 亻 person + 攸 (phonetic) + 彡 hair/decoration
修 combines 攸 (a phonetic component originally showing a person being washed) with 彡, which depicts flowing hair or ornamental strokes. The 彡 element suggests grooming, polishing, or adorning, giving 修 its core meaning of cultivating, repairing, or refining oneself or things.
改 — 己 (self) + 攴/攵 (action/strike)
改 is a compound of 己 'self' and 攵 (the action radical, originally a hand holding a stick). The image is of striking or applying force to oneself or one's situation, suggesting reform or correction. From this came the modern meaning 'to change, alter, correct'.