Meaning
mode (music); to move (troops); tune; tone; melody; to transfer
Chinese: 调整、调动；读 diào 时指声调、曲调。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “diao” becomes a different word in each tone. 调 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 调查diào cháinvestigation; inquiry; to investigate; to survey
- 调整tiáo zhěngto adjust; adjustment; revision
- 强调qiáng diàoto emphasize (a statement); to stress
- 空调kōng tiáoair conditioning; air conditioner (including units that have a heating mode)
- 调皮tiáo pínaughty; mischievous; unruly
Example Sentence
请帮我调一下空调的温度。Qǐng bāng wǒ tiáo yí xià kōng tiáo de wēn dù.Please help me adjust the air conditioner temperature.
请Qǐngto ask帮bāngto help我wǒI调tiáoto harmonize一下yí xiàall at once空调kōng tiáoair conditioning的deof温度wēn dùtemperature。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
The speech radical 讠 plus 周 (sound): read diào: ‘to transfer, move; a tune, melody; a tone, accent’ (调动, 声调, 调查); read tiáo: ‘to adjust, blend, mix; to mediate; to tease’ (调整, 调味). Simplified from 調.
A way to remember it
diào = to transfer / a tune (声调); tiáo = to adjust / blend (调整).