‘改动’ (gǎi dòng) is a noun meaning ‘alteration’ or ‘change’, especially one that modifies an existing plan, text, design, or arrangement. It combines the characters 改 (gǎi), meaning ‘to change’ or ‘to revise’, and 动 (dòng), meaning ‘to move’ or ‘to act’—together suggesting an active, deliberate modification rather than a passive shift. The word implies intentionality and often carries a neutral-to-formal tone.

It’s commonly used in contexts like editing documents, adjusting schedules, updating software, or modifying rules or policies. While it can refer to small tweaks or major overhauls, it usually suggests the original structure remains largely intact. Unlike more general words like ‘变化’ (biàn huà), which refers to natural or spontaneous change, ‘改动’ emphasizes human-initiated intervention and is frequently paired with verbs like ‘做’ (zuò, ‘to make’) or ‘有’ (yǒu, ‘to have’), as in ‘做了些改动’ (made some alterations).