调换 (diào huàn) — to exchange, to swap, to change places | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

verb

to exchangeto swapto change places

Examples

调换。
Wǒ bǎ wǒ de zuò wèi gēn tā de diào huàn le.
I exchanged my seat with his.
调换。
Wǒ men xū yào diào huàn yí xià gōng zuò shí jiān.
We need to swap our work schedules.
调换。
Zhè liǎng jiàn jiā jù de wèi zhì yīng gāi diào huàn.
The positions of these two pieces of furniture should be swapped.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

换huànexchange

调 and 换 both convey changing or swapping, together meaning to exchange.

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.

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.

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 換; 换 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

奐

奐huàn換huàn

Same sound today

For the traditional form 換, 手 is the hand part and 奐 gives the sound; this note is about 換, not the simplified 换.

Appears in

Change & Process

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