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步调 (bù diào) — pace; step; tempo (of walking or progress)

Definition

A formal word for the overall pace or tempo of progress (work, marching, a plan) — broader and more collective than 速度 ('speed' of one thing). Often used in phrases like 步调一致 ('in step / in sync').

noun
pacesteptempo (of walking or progress)

Examples

  • 步调。
    Tā men de gōng zuò bù diào hěn kuài.
    Their work pace is very fast.
  • 步调，。
    Wǒ men yào tiáo zhěng bù diào, bù néng tài kuài yě bù néng tài màn.
    We need to adjust the pace—it can't be too fast or too slow.
  • 步调。
    Zhè ge duì wu de xíng jìn bù diào fēi cháng zhěng qí.
    The marching pace of this team is very orderly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

步bùstep
调tiáorhythm

The 步 of a step sets the 调 or rhythm, giving pace.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
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.

Open 调 →
Appears in
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