着替える
きがえる · kigaeru · JLPT N2 · verb-ichidan
to change (one's) clothes
👘 着 (wear) + 替える (exchange): swap what you wear, i.e. change clothes
着る means to wear, and 替える means to replace or swap, so 着替える is swapping one outfit for another. The first kanji 着 appears in 着物 (kimono), which is a clue to clothing.
着 — sheep 羊 (top) + eye 目 (bottom)
着 originated as a variant of 著, which depicted plants emerging visibly above ground (grass radical 艹 over 者). Over time 着 split off to carry meanings like 'attach,' 'wear,' or a verb suffix marking ongoing action (zhe), while 著 kept senses like 'manifest' or 'author.'
替 — two 夫 (man) over 曰 (say)
Originally written with two 立 (stand) over 白, depicting two people side by side, suggesting replacement or alternation. The form evolved to two 夫 over 曰. The core meaning shifted from 'decline/abolish' to 'replace, substitute for'.