调 Stroke Order — How to Write 调
调 is written in 10 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 讠, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
调 Radical and Character Components
调 is a phono-semantic compound: 讠 (speech) carries the meaning, while 周 indicates the sound.
Radical: 讠 + 8 more strokes
调 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- tiáo
- diào
- zhōu
Meanings of 调 in Chinese
1
tiáo调
To mix or blend evenly; to coordinate or regulate appropriately, often implying harmony or balance, as in a balanced diet or favorable weather.
长期熬夜会导致饮食失调和免疫力下降。
Long-term late nights can lead to an unbalanced diet and decreased immunity.
To mix or blend ingredients to achieve a balanced or desired taste/combination; to season.
请把沙拉酱调匀再吃。
Please mix the salad dressing evenly before eating.
To mediate or reconcile a dispute or relationship.
他们成功调解了邻里之间的纠纷。
They successfully mediated the dispute between neighbors.
To adjust or regulate, often referring to balancing supply and demand, or making up for deficiencies and excesses.
图书馆通过增购新书来调剂读者的阅读需求
The library adjusts readers' reading needs by purchasing new books.
To nurse or recuperate to restore health.
她生病后需要好好调养身体。
After her illness, she needs to recuperate well.
To train or tame (animals, especially to make them obey or perform tasks), often requiring skill and patience.
他非常善于调教那些顽皮的幼犬。
He is very good at training those mischievous puppies.
To tease, flirt, or make fun of someone playfully.
他喜欢在派对上和朋友们开心地调笑
He enjoys playfully teasing his friends at parties.
2
diào调
tune; melody; a song or piece of music
这首歌的曲调非常优美。
The melody of this song is very beautiful.
Key or scale in music, referring to the tonic or mode, like C major or pentatonic scale.
学习吉他时，了解不同歌曲的调性很重要。
When learning guitar, it's very important to understand the key of different songs.
The phonetic tone of a character or syllable in a language, such as 'tone mark' (调号) or 'tone category' (调类).
学习中文时，掌握好声调非常重要。
When learning Chinese, mastering the tones is very important.
Speaking accent or tone; dialectal intonation.
他的普通话虽然标准，但偶尔还是会带点家乡的腔调。
Although his Mandarin is standard, he occasionally still carries a bit of his hometown accent.
The specific manner or tone of speaking; a viewpoint or argument (e.g., a lecturing tone, or similar opinions).
他的发言总是一个调，听起来让人厌烦。
His speeches always have the same tone, which makes people annoyed.
The style, talent, or temperament a person possesses or displays; a distinctive atmosphere or quality, as in "sentiment" (情调) or "style/quality" (格调).
他的音乐作品总是有独特的格调。
His musical works always have a unique style.
To select and transfer someone to a new, often higher, position; to reassign for promotion.
公司决定从研发部调一位资深工程师到项目组。
The company decided to transfer a senior engineer from the R&D department to the project team.
To transfer or adjust a position, often referring to a job or role transfer.
他被调到了新的项目组。
He was transferred to a new project team.
To transfer, deploy, or allocate (resources, personnel) from one place to another to meet a need or balance a situation.
为了按时完成任务，我们急需从其他小组调配一些人手过来
To complete the task on time, we urgently need to transfer some staff from other teams.
to investigate; to survey
项目组正在对市场进行调研。
The project team is currently conducting market research.
to retrieve or transfer (e.g., files, archives, data)
请把这份文件从档案室调出来。
Please retrieve this document from the archive room.
To adjust, to change, to transfer (e.g., positions, shifts, seats).
我能和你调一下时间吗？
Can I adjust the time with you?
3
zhōu调
Morning; dawn. (An archaic usage of '调' pronounced 'zhōu'.)
调露未晞，花影摇曳。
The morning dew has not yet dried, and the flower shadows sway.
Common Words and Phrases with 调
1
To secretly replace a genuine item with a fake or inferior one; to stealthily substitute.
店员不小心把包裹调包了，顾客收到了错误的商品。
The clerk accidentally swapped the packages, and the customer received the wrong item.
2
to move and deploy troops; to assign personnel
为了成功完成这个项目，经理正在调兵遣将，合理分配团队成员的任务。
To successfully complete this project, the manager is strategically deploying his team, allocating tasks reasonably among members.
3
To instigate or stir up.
公司决定将这批库存物资调拨给分公司使用
The company decided to transfer this batch of inventory materials to the branch office for use.
4
To investigate or survey.
为了更好地了解顾客需求，我们对他们进行了详细的调查。
To better understand customer needs, we conducted a detailed survey among them.
5
Mediate or arbitrate, especially disputes or differences.
经过一番调处，双方最终达成了和解。
After some mediation, both parties finally reached a settlement.
6
regulate and invigorate
他的演讲内容丰富，表达方式调达，深受听众喜爱。
His speech was rich in content, and his manner of expression was harmonious and fluent, which was greatly appreciated by the audience.
7
to retrieve an applicant's dossier, especially for admission consideration.
小王的高考分数达到了重点大学的要求，所以他的档案被顺利调档了。
Xiao Wang's college entrance examination scores met the requirements of key universities, so his application file was successfully retrieved for review.
8
To transfer, shift, deploy, mobilize, or bring into play (personnel, troops, resources, or factors).
这场讲座成功调动了学生们的学习积极性。
This lecture successfully mobilized students' enthusiasm for learning.
9
dispatch; arrange; deploy
项目经理负责调度团队成员，确保项目按时完成。
The project manager is responsible for dispatching team members to ensure the project is completed on time.
10
To transfer troops from one station or defense area to another; to redeploy military forces.
工厂的安保团队需要调防到新的厂区进行安全部署。
The factory's security team needs to redeploy to the new plant area for security deployment.
11
Amplitude modulation (AM) is a modulation technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. It works by varying the amplitude of the carrier wave in proportion to the message signal.
老式收音机主要使用调幅技术来接收广播信号。
Old radios mainly use amplitude modulation technology to receive broadcast signals.
12
be transferred to; move to; be posted to
这位经理被调赴海外分部，负责拓展新业务
This manager was transferred to the overseas branch to oversee the expansion of new business.
13
cadre enrolled from among workers
厂里最近有一些老员工调干，负责管理新的生产线。
Recently, some long-serving employees in the factory were transferred from worker roles to management positions, responsible for overseeing new production lines.
14
More words with 调
- qǔ曲diào调melody, tune
- kōng空tiáo调air conditioner
- qiāng腔diào调accent, style
- shēng声diào调tone
- bǐ笔diào调tone or style of writing
- bù步diào调pace, step
- chōu抽diào调transfer, second
- cí词diào调tune pattern (of ci poetry), metrical pattern
- dìng定diào调Set the tone, Set the direction
- gé格diào调style, taste
- gōng宫diào调musical mode, mode
- jī基diào调tone, keynote
- jiàng降diào调To lower the pitch or tone.
- jiě解tiáo调Demodulation
- kǒu口diào调tone of voice; intonation
- lùn论diào调Viewpoint, Tone
- nuǎn暖diào调warm tone; warm colour tone
- pèi配diào调Allocation, Deployment
- shēng升diào调rising tone, rising intonation
- tí提diào调supervise, superintendent
Idioms with 调
- diào调chá查yán研jiū究investigate and research
- diào调hǔ虎lí离shān山lure opponent away from advantageous position
- tiáo调zuǐ嘴nòng弄shé舌gossip maliciously and stir up trouble
- bù步diào调yī一zhì致act in concert
- chén陈cí词làn滥diào调stale, clichéd remarks
- fēng风tiáo调yǔ雨shùn顺favorable weather for crops
- gǔ古diào调bù不tán弹Outdated things are no longer popular
- guān官qiāng腔guān官diào调speak in an official tone
- jiù旧diào调chóng重tán弹rehash old arguments
- lǎo老diào调chóng重tán弹harp on the same old tune
- lǎo老diào调chóng重tán谈Rehash old arguments or ideas
- mì蜜lǐ里tiáo调yóu油deeply intimate and harmonious
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Open the tool →Questions about 调
What does 调 mean in Chinese?
调 (tiáo) means “To mix or blend evenly” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 调?
调 has 3 pronunciations: tiáo, diào, zhōu.
How many strokes does 调 have?
调 has 10 strokes.
How do you write 调?
调 is written in 10 strokes, starting from the radical 讠. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 调?
The radical of 调 is 讠, and 调 is a phono-semantic compound.