调

調
tiáo
#400 most
frequent character
suit well, mix, adjust, fit in perfectly
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

调 has 讠 speech as the meaning part and 周 zhōu as the sound part. Its first meaning was 'to mediate, harmonize, reconcile', though the sound link is unclear today. Read tiáo, it grew to 'average', 'mix', and 'adjust'; read diào, to 'exchange', 'reassign', 'tune, key, meter', 'tone, accent', and 'view'.

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Example Sentences

我需要调一下音量。
wǒ xūyào tiáo yīxià yīnliàng 。
I need to adjust the volume.
他调了椅子的高度。
tā tiáole yǐzǐ de gāodù 。
He adjusted the height of the chair.
你可以帮我调这个机器吗？
nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ tiáo zhègè jīqì ma ？
Can you help me adjust this machine?

Words with similar meanings

修正xiūzhèng
correct
修正 suggests a focus on correcting something that is wrong or not optimal.
调整tiáozhěng
regulate
调整 implies making changes to reach a desired state or standard, often used in formal contexts.

Words Starting With 调

调整tiáo zhěng
adjustment; revision
调皮tiáo pí
naughty; mischievous; unruly
调剂tiáo jì
to adjust; to balance; to make up a medical prescription
调和tiáo hé
harmonious; harmony
调料tiáo liào
condiment; seasoning; flavoring

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