曲调 (qǔ diào) — tune, melody | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

tunemelody

Measure word · 首

Examples

曲调。
Zhè shǒu gē qǔ de qǔ diào hěn yōu měi.
The tune of this song is very beautiful.
曲调。
Tā hēng zhe shú xi de qǔ diào zǒu jìn le fáng jiān.
He hummed a familiar tune as he walked into the room.
曲调。
Zhè duàn qǔ diào ràng rén xiǎng qǐ le tóng nián.
This melody reminds people of childhood.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

曲 and 调 both refer to melody or tune, so the word means a musical line.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

曲 is drawn as a bent object, matching the meaning 'bend'.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 調; 调 is its simplified writing.

言周調

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

周

周zhōu調tiáo

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 調 pairs 言 (speech) with 周, which shows how it was pronounced. The simplified 调 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

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