调 diào tune
tune; to transfer; to investigate; tone
diào (to transfer; a tone) and tiáo (to adjust; to blend) - 调查 diàochá investigate, 调整 tiáozhěng adjust
How to remember 调: 讠 words + 周 week = tune. The singer changes the words of her song every day for a week until the whole band is finally in tune.
Component breakdown
调 = 讠 words + 周 week
- 讠 words
- 周 week
- ⺆ outer limits
- 𠮷 foul mouth
The singer changes the words of her song every day for a week until the whole band is finally in tune.
How it is used
- Read diào it means to move, to look into, or a tone - 调查 (diàochá) investigate, 强调 (qiángdiào) emphasize, 声调 (shēngdiào) tone.
- Read tiáo it means to adjust or to mix - 调整 (tiáozhěng) adjust, 调味 (tiáowèi) season, 空调 (kōngtiáo) air conditioner.
- Trap: 调查 (diàochá) investigate is diào, although 空调 in the next room has the other reading.
- tiáo leans towards harmony - 协调 (xiétiáo) coordinate.
- diào leans towards moving and pitch - 调动 (diàodòng) transfer, 单调 (dāndiào) monotone.
Words with 调
- 空调kōngtiáoair-conditionerHSK 3
- 调查diàocháinvestigateHSK 4
- 强调qiángdiàoto emphasize (a statement)HSK 5
- 调整tiáozhěngto adjustHSK 5
- 调皮tiáopínaughtyHSK 5
- 调研diàoyánto investigate and researchHSK 5
- 协调xiétiáoto coordinateHSK 6
- 单调dāndiàomonotonousHSK 6
- 声调shēngdiàotoneHSK 6
- 调动diàodòngto transferHSK 6
- 调节tiáojiéto adjustHSK 6
- 上调shàngtiáoto raise (prices)HSK 7
- 下调xiàtiáoto adjust downwardsHSK 7
- 低调dīdiàolow pitchHSK 7
- 情调qíngdiàoambienceHSK 7
- 调和tiáohéharmoniousHSK 7
- 调度diàodùto dispatch (vehicles, staff etc)HSK 7
- 调料tiáoliàocondimentHSK 7
- 调解tiáojiěto mediateHSK 7
- 调试tiáoshìto debugHSK 7
- 高调gāodiàohigh-sounding speechHSK 7
- 烹调pēngtiáoto cookHSK 9
- 调侃tiáokǎnto ridiculeHSK 9
- 调剂tiáojìto adjustHSK 9
- 调控tiáokòngto regulateHSK 9
Example sentences
- 他在修理空调机。 Tā zài xiūlǐ kōngtiáojī.He's repairing the air-conditioner.
- 我们对客户进行了问卷调查。 Wǒmen duì kèhù jìnxíngle wènjuàn diàochá.We did a survey of our clients.