革
gé
animal hide
leather; to reform; to remove; to expel (from office)
a picture of 革 → an animal being skinned, hide stretched flat
The original oracle-bone form showed an animal stretched out with its hide being peeled away. From that raw, transformative act of stripping skin, the character extended naturally to the idea of radical change and removal.
这双鞋是用真皮革做的。
zhè shuāng xié shì yòng zhēn pí gé zuò de。
This pair of shoes is made from genuine leather.
政府决定对旧制度进行改革。
zhèngfǔ juédìng duì jiù zhìdù jìnxíng gǎigé。
The government decided to reform the old system.
Words with 革
洗心革面
xǐ xīn gé miàn
lit. to wash one's heart and renew one's face (idiom); to repent sincerely and mend one's mistaken ways
革新
gé xīn
to innovate
金融改革
jīn róng gǎi gé
financial reform
镇压反革命运动
zhèn yā fǎn gé mìng yùn dòng
Campaign to Suppress Counterrevolutionaries (PRC political campaign from 1950-1952), abbr. to 鎮反運動|镇反运动[Zhen4 fan3 Yun4 dong4]
开革
kāi gé
to fire
革命先烈
gé mìng xiān liè
martyr to the revolution
革命家
gé mìng jiā
a revolutionary
革命烈士
gé mìng liè shì
martyr of the revolution
革囊
gé náng
leather purse
革履
gé lǚ
leather (shoes)
革故鼎新
gé gù dǐng xīn
to discard the old and introduce the new (idiom); to innovate
革职
gé zhí
to sack