改版
gǎi bǎn · HSK 7
revised edition
📝 改 (change) + 版 (edition) = change the edition → revise
改 means to change or revise; 版 means edition, printing plate, or version (think software 'version'). Together 改版 literally reads as change-edition — to revise an existing edition or release a revised version.
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'.
版 — 片 (slice/board) + 反 (phonetic 'fǎn')
版 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 片 component means a thin slice or board of wood, indicating the meaning, while 反 supplies the sound. Originally it referred to wooden writing tablets or printing blocks, which extended to today's senses of 'edition,' 'printing plate,' and 'version.'