调子 (diào zi) — tune; melody; tone (of speech); intonation

Definition

noun

tunemelodytone (of speech)intonation

调子。
Zhè shǒu gē de diào zi hěn hǎo tīng.
The melody of this song is very pleasant.
调子。
Tā shuō huà de diào zi yǒu diǎn qí guài.
The tone of his speech is a bit strange.
调子，。
Zhè ge diào zi tài gāo le, wǒ chàng bú shàng qù.
This note is too high; I can't sing it.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

调tiáotune or tone

调 supplies the core sense of tune or tone, and 子 completes the familiar word.

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

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Appears in