脱胎换骨 tuō tāi huàn gǔ

DEFINITIONS

  1. to shed one's mortal body and exchange one's bones (idiom); born again Daoist
  2. to turn over a new leaf
  3. fig. to change wholly
  4. to create from other material (story, artwork etc)

CHARACTERS

脱 tuō take off
胎 tāi unborn child, embryo, fetus
换 huàn change
骨 gǔ bone; skeleton; frame, framework