改める
あらためる · aratameru · JLPT N2 · verb-ichidan
to reform
📝 改 = reform; arata(shii) = new, so aratameru = make it new again
The aratame- stem shares a root with 新た arata, meaning new or fresh. To aratameru something is to renew it: revise a rule, correct a habit, or change your ways. The kanji 改 also appears in 改革 kaikaku, reform.
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'.