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调动 (diào dòng) — to transfer, to redeploy (personnel, troops, funds); to mobilize, to bring into play (enthusiasm, initiative)

Definition

调动 is used for two senses: transferring or reassigning people/roles (transitive — takes 把 construction), and mobilizing latent resources like enthusiasm. 发动 and 动员 focus more on launching or rallying people into action.

verb
to transferto redeploy (personnel, troops, funds)to mobilizeto bring into play (enthusiasm, initiative)

Examples

  • 调动。
    Gōng sī bǎ tā diào dòng dào le běi jīng fēn gōng sī.
    The company transferred him to the Beijing branch.
  • 调动。
    Zhèng fǔ zhèng diào dòng dà liàng wù zī zhī yuán zāi qū.
    The government is mobilizing large amounts of supplies to support the disaster area.
  • 调动。
    Hǎo de lǐng dǎo huì diào dòng yuán gōng de jī jí xìng.
    A good leader can mobilize employees' enthusiasm.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

调tiáotransfer
动dòngmove

调 transfer and 动 move are parallel actions, together meaning to redeploy or mobilize.

Characters in this word

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 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Management

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