gǎijìn: 改进 - To Improve, Improvement, To Make Better

• Keywords: gǎijìn, 改进, improve Chinese, how to say improve in Chinese, gǎijìn meaning, gǎijìn vs tigao, Chinese word for improvement, make better in Chinese, refine, correct and improve.
• Summary: Learn how to say “improve” in Chinese with the word 改进 (gǎijìn). This page breaks down the meaning of 改进, showing you how it's used to talk about improving processes, products, and skills. Discover the cultural significance of continuous improvement in China and understand the crucial difference between 改进 (gǎijìn) and 提高 (tígāo). With 10 practical example sentences, you'll master how to use this essential HSK 4 word in business, study, and daily conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): gǎi jìn
• Part of Speech: Verb, Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To improve something by making changes and corrections.
• In a Nutshell: 改进 (gǎijìn) is about making something better by fixing what's wrong or not good enough. Think of it as “to change and advance.” It implies a deliberate, hands-on process of refining a method, a product, or a system to get a better result. It's less about raising a level from “good to great” and more about moving from “inadequate to adequate” or “good to better.”

• 改 (gǎi): To change, to alter, to correct. This character combines 己 (jǐ), meaning “oneself,” and 攴 (pū), a pictograph for a hand holding a stick, meaning “to tap” or “to urge.” Together, they suggest the idea of urging oneself to change or correcting one's own faults.
• 进 (jìn): To advance, to move forward, to enter. This character shows a bird (隹) on the “movement” radical (辶). It vividly pictures the act of progressing or moving ahead.
• When combined, 改进 (gǎi-jìn) literally means “to change and advance,” perfectly capturing the idea of actively correcting something in order to move it forward to a better state.

The concept of 改进 (gǎijìn) is a cornerstone of modern Chinese society, reflecting a deep-seated drive for progress and pragmatism. From national economic policies to corporate strategies and personal development, the idea of continuous, incremental improvement is everywhere. In Western business culture, there's often a strong emphasis on “innovation” (创新 - chuàngxīn), which implies creating something entirely new or disrupting an industry. 改进 (gǎijìn), in contrast, is more closely aligned with the Japanese concept of “kaizen.” It champions the value of making steady, iterative enhancements to existing processes and products. This isn't about a revolutionary breakthrough, but about the diligent, practical work of refining what you already have. This reflects a cultural value of pragmatism and a belief that consistent, small efforts lead to significant long-term success. For a learner, understanding 改进 (gǎijìn) is key to seeing how progress is viewed: not as a single leap, but as a series of deliberate, corrective steps forward.

改进 (gǎijìn) is a common and versatile word used in both formal and semi-formal contexts.

• In Business and Technology: This is its most frequent home. Companies constantly talk about 改进产品 (improving products), 改进服务 (improving service), and 改进技术 (improving technology). It is a standard term in reports, meetings, and presentations.
• In Education and Personal Development: A teacher might tell a student they need to 改进学习方法 (improve their study methods). You can say you want to 改进你的发音 (improve your pronunciation). It implies you've identified a specific area of weakness and are working to fix it.
• As a Noun: It can also mean “an improvement” or “a refinement.” For example, 这是一个很大的改进 (This is a big improvement).

It's slightly more formal than just saying “make it better” in English, but it's not overly academic. It's the standard, go-to term for discussing concrete improvements.

• Example 1:
  • 我们需要改进我们的工作流程。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xūyào gǎijìn wǒmen de gōngzuò liúchéng.
  • English: We need to improve our workflow.
  • Analysis: A classic business example. 改进 here means to analyze the current workflow, find inefficiencies, and fix them.
• Example 2:
  • 老师建议我改进我的写作技巧。
  • Pinyin: Lǎoshī jiànyì wǒ gǎijìn wǒde xiězuò jìqiǎo.
  • English: The teacher suggested I improve my writing skills.
  • Analysis: This implies the student's current writing skills have specific, correctable flaws.
• Example 3:
  • 这个新版本有了一些重要的改进。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xīn bǎnběn yǒu le yīxiē zhòngyào de gǎijìn.
  • English: This new version has some important improvements.
  • Analysis: Here, 改进 is used as a noun, referring to the specific changes made to better the product.
• Example 4:
  • 你的发音改进了很多！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de fāyīn gǎijìn le hěn duō!
  • English: Your pronunciation has improved a lot!
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 改进 to describe progress in a personal skill over time. The 了 (le) indicates a completed change.
• Example 5:
  • 公司投入了大量资金来改进生产线。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī tóurù le dàliàng zījīn lái gǎijìn shēngchǎnxiàn.
  • English: The company invested a large amount of capital to improve the production line.
  • Analysis: This highlights that 改进 often involves a deliberate action or investment to achieve a better outcome.
• Example 6:
  • 客户对我们的服务提出了改进建议。
  • Pinyin: Kèhù duì wǒmen de fúwù tíchū le gǎijìn jiànyì.
  • English: The customer offered suggestions for improvement for our service.
  • Analysis: 改进建议 (gǎijìn jiànyì) is a very common and useful collocation meaning “suggestions for improvement.”
• Example 7:
  • 通过不断学习，他的技术得到了很大改进。
  • Pinyin: Tōngguò bùduàn xuéxí, tā de jìshù dédào le hěn dà gǎijìn.
  • English: Through continuous study, his skills have seen great improvement.
  • Analysis: `得到改进` (dédào gǎijìn) is a common pattern meaning “to receive improvement” or “to be improved.”
• Example 8:
  • 我们正在寻找改进这个系统的方法。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen zhèngzài xúnzhǎo gǎijìn zhège xìtǒng de fāngfǎ.
  • English: We are looking for ways to improve this system.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows that 改进 is a process that requires thought and planning (finding a 方法, or method).
• Example 9:
  • 这个软件的界面设计还有改进的空间。
  • Pinyin: Zhège ruǎnjiàn de jièmiàn shèjì hái yǒu gǎijìn de kōngjiān.
  • English: The user interface design of this software still has room for improvement.
  • Analysis: A very useful phrase, `有改进的空间` (yǒu gǎijìn de kōngjiān), literally “has room for improvement.”
• Example 10:
  • 他的态度有了明显的改进。
  • Pinyin: Tā de tàidù yǒu le míngxiǎn de gǎijìn.
  • English: There has been a noticeable improvement in his attitude.
  • Analysis: 改进 is not just for technical things; it can also be used for abstract concepts like attitude or relationships, similar to 改善.

The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 改进 (gǎijìn) and 提高 (tígāo). They both translate to “improve,” but they are not interchangeable.

• 改进 (gǎijìn): To fix and refine. Use 改进 when you are improving something that has existing flaws, is inefficient, or is not up to standard. It focuses on the process, method, or product itself.
  • Correct: 我们要改进工作方法。(Wǒmen yào gǎijìn gōngzuò fāngfǎ.) - We need to improve our work methods. (The methods are flawed).
  • Incorrect: ~~我们要提高工作方法。~~ (This sounds awkward, as “methods” are fixed/changed, not “raised”).
• 提高 (tígāo): To raise or elevate. Use 提高 when you are increasing the level, standard, quality, or efficiency of something. It's about going from good to better, or from a lower level to a higher one.
  • Correct: 我们要提高工作效率。(Wǒmen yào tígāo gōngzuò xiàolǜ.) - We need to increase work efficiency. (Efficiency is a level you can raise).
  • Incorrect: ~~我们要改进工作效率。~~ (While understandable, 提高 is the standard and more precise word for raising a level like “efficiency”).

Analogy: You 改进 (gǎijìn) a recipe by changing the ingredients. By doing so, you hope to 提高 (tígāo) the quality of the final dish.

• 提高 (tígāo) - To raise, enhance, or increase a level or standard. The most important term to contrast with 改进.
• 改善 (gǎishàn) - To improve, to make better. Very similar to 改进, but often used for situations, living conditions, or relationships (e.g., 改善环境 - improve the environment).
• 进步 (jìnbù) - Progress, to make progress. Often used for personal development in skills or knowledge (e.g., 我的中文有进步了 - My Chinese has progressed).
• 发展 (fāzhǎn) - To develop, development. A broader term for growth and expansion, often used on a larger scale (e.g., economic development).
• 优化 (yōuhuà) - To optimize. A modern, technical-sounding word borrowed from English, used heavily in business and tech to mean making something as effective as possible.
• 调整 (tiáozhěng) - To adjust, to regulate. Implies a smaller-scale change or fine-tuning compared to 改进.
• 改革 (gǎigé) - To reform. A major, systemic overhaul, much stronger than 改进. Used for things like economic or political reform.
• 创新 (chuàngxīn) - To innovate, innovation. Refers to creating something new, rather than refining something that already exists.