# Pronunciation: 调



## Skatinginbc

Hi, I am confused by some of the online dictionaries.  汉语词典 transcribes 调频 as _diào pín_ (http://cidian.911cha.com/MTc0NG8=.html) and yet 调频收音机 as _tiáo pín shōu yīn jī_ (http://cidian.911cha.com/MTdmZHk=.html).  The same dictionary transcribes 调制 as _tiáo zhì_ (http://cidian.911cha.com/MTdmcDI=.html), and yet 调制解调器 as _diào zhì jiě diào qì_ (http://cidian.911cha.com/MTg4a2k=.html). I’m totally confused.  What am I supposed to pronounce all those terms?  


According to 汉典, 调摄 should be read as _tiáo shè_ (http://www.zdic.net/c/3/f6/257542.htm) but 调心, a short form of 调摄心性, as _diào xīn_ ( http://www.zdic.net/c/3/f6/257268.htm).  Should I trust the dictionary known to contain sporadic internal inconsistencies (see 优繇 thread http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2682316) or should I trust my instinct?  In Chinese martial arts, there is a term called 三调, namely, 调身, 调心, and 调息. Should we follow the dictionaries and pronounce 调心 as _diào xīn _and yet 调息 as  _tiáo __xī _(http://www.zdic.net/c/3/f6/257372.htm)?  

I was taught 调身 _tiáo shēn _means 调节身体 and _diào__ shēn_ means 转身, but those dictionaries contradict my learning.  They say_ diào__ shēn_, period, even for 调节身体.  I'm totally confused.  What am I supposed to pronounce all those terms?

Thank you in advance


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## daoxunchang

It's a bit late now. From one of my paperback dictionaries, 《现代汉语词典》（商务印书馆，1995）: 调摄 _tiáo shè _（<书>调养）_。_调制 _tiáo zhì_（使电磁波所振幅、频率或脉冲的有关参数依照所需传递的信号而变化的过程叫调制）。
I cannot find entries for the other words. By my personal experience and opinion: 调心，调身，调息 _tiáo *_。Not 调_diào_身but 掉身in the meaning of 转身。

Please wait for other people to respond. Good night.


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## BODYholic

Skatinginbc said:


> Hi, I am confused by some of the online dictionaries.  汉语词典 transcribes 调频 as _diào pín_ (http://cidian.911cha.com/MTc0NG8=.html) and yet 调频收音机 as _tiáo pín shōu yīn jī_ (http://cidian.911cha.com/MTdmZHk=.html).  The same dictionary transcribes 调制 as _tiáo zhì_ (http://cidian.911cha.com/MTdmcDI=.html), and yet 调制解调器 as _diào zhì jiě diào qì_ (http://cidian.911cha.com/MTg4a2k=.html). I’m totally confused.  What am I supposed to pronounce all those terms?



调频 (_diào pín_) is 音调的频率。 This 调 is actually a noun but functions as an adjective.
调频 (_tiáo pín_) is 调节频率。 This 调 is a verb. It is _"tiáo pín_收音机" because you need to finetune the frequency in order to get a good reception. Another words, a 收音机 that can "_tiáo__ pín_".


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## Skatinginbc

BODYholic said:


> 调频 (_diào pín_) is 音调的频率。 This 调 is actually a noun but functions as an adjective.


Good analysis, but it is different from the 调频 (_diào pín_) defined by the dictionary I was talking about.  Here is the definition: 
 1. 交流发电机或电力系统的负荷变动时，用手动或自动方法*调整* (Tiao) 原动机的功率输出，使电能的频率变化维持在一定范围内，以保证用电设备工作正常。
2. “频率*调制*” (Tiao) 的简称。使载波的瞬时频率按照所需传送信号的变化规律而变化，但保持振幅不变的调制方法。


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## BODYholic

“频率*调制*” or "调频"(_diào? pín_)  means frequency modulation (FM) in English.

I used the same online dictionary to search for "调幅" which means amplitude modulation (AM). Strangely though, it says "拼音 tiáo fú　注音 ㄊㄧㄠˊ ㄈㄨˊ". This, all the more, add on to the confusion. Would you think they might have made a mistake in their entry?

I cross referenced nciku and zdic which, by no means authoritative, showed better consistency in their results.


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## stellari

For me, 调 should be pronounced tiao2 when it means 'to tune'/'to adjust', as is the case in 调频/调制/调息. My suggestion is that we should not fully trust those online sources with no guaranteed authorities.
On the other hand, it is entirely possible for a character to retain its ancient pronunciation in a particular word. A notable example is 虚与委蛇 (yi2). So I wouldn't be surprised if 调 is pronounced diao2 in some Buddhist terms. However, we need a convincing source to prove this.


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## Skatinginbc

stellari said:


> A notable example is 虚与委蛇 (yi2).


It appears to me that the sound difference between shé and yí have resulted from an ablaut in Old Chinese (i.e., a vowel change within a word to indicate a change in grammatical function). 
蛇 "snake": Old Chinese *liaj > Middle Chinese *źa > Mandarin shé. 
蛇 "like a snake": Old Chinese *laj > Middle Chinese *je > Mandarin yí (Sergei Starostin 2005). 
This  ablaut is necessary because 委蛇 (= 委 "bent" + 蛇 "like a snake") deviates from the regular word order  (e.g., 蛇行 "walk like a snake", 蛇弓 "snake-like bow", wherein 蛇 shé, the modifier, precedes rather than follows the word to be modified).  

From the linguistic point of views, I fail to see why 调 should be pronounced differently among 调身, 调心, and 调息.  I expect parallelism among them because they together are listed as 三调.  Therefore, it is a natural reaction for me to cast doubt on dictionaries that prescribe different readings to them.


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## Florianus

調 has these two pronunciations. 調整 tiaozheng, change something. 聲調 shengdiao， tone(s). If you see it refers to sounds, like 調頻, it is diao. If it refers to changes，調身、調心、調息，then it should be tiao.

Good luck,
Florianus


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## Skatinginbc

Thank you, Florianus.  I notice Hoochewese is listed as one of your native languages.  It just hits me that in some Chinese dialects such as 福州話 and Taiwanese (I don't mean Taiwanese Mandarin), there is no contrast in the initial consonant for 調 despite the contrast in tone.  調頻 sounds like _diao pi__ŋ_ in Taiwanese, but strangely enough, we say _tiáo pín_ in 國語.  Do people of Fujian say 调频 _diào pín_ even in 普通话?


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## YangMuye

It's just a pronunciation auto-generated by programs.
You can even find kong1 diao4. http://cidian.911cha.com/MXFmamU=.html
I'm pretty sure it's tiao2 pin2, as I used to listen to the radio when I was a student.


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## Florianus

Sorry that I have to make a change that 調頻 should pronunce tiaopin, not diaopin 'cause it is going to change the pin, so 調tiao (means change). That means the 汉语词典 has an error. It is truly confusing because 調頻 is not being used in everyday life.

Hoochew Chinese also has two different pronunciation for 調, dieu or deu. But, primarily Hoochew speak dieu for 調 in their mother tongue, which corresponds to official Mandarin 普通話 tiao. I would say Hoochew (Fuzhou) young generation clearly distinguishes 調整tiaozheng, 調頻tiaopin, and 聲調shengdiao. 

I can't speak for all Fujian people because Hoochew is different than Hokkien (閩南語) in southern Fujian, MinBei Chinese (閩北), and 莆仙 閩中語（三明）. Chinese languages are complicated that don't have very good intelligence. 

Regards
Florianus


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## patyl

Hi,

Speaking with my Cantonese tongue, I was quite sure there is another meaning when 調 is pronounced as diu6 while not being used as a noun as in 音調.  I decided to verify and found the following from my 中文字典 (香港華僑語文出版社, 1984, 32nd ed.):
(1) 進行訪查, eg. 調查
(2) 徵發,派發 eg. 徵調,調用,調兵遣將
(3) 安排,處置 eg. 調度,調任
(4) 更換 eg. 調動,更調,職務對調
None of them I would consider archaic.

Skatinginbc, I fully understand where your post is coming from.  I think it is worth the investigation instead of following a few links on the web which can be faulty and the faults being copied all over the place to create a sense of self assurance.

Regards


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## Skatinginbc

patyl said:


> Skatinginbc, I fully understand where your post is coming from.



I would like to thank everybody for the input.  Thanks.


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## yuechu

Hello!
I read the following sentence in a Chinese novel today: "于是我不得不亲自去给他调气压阀." Should the character 调 here be pronounced diào or tiáo? (and what does it mean?)
Thanks!


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## darren8221

Hi baosheng,

Unfortunately, you need to provide more context because in this sentence both pronunciations can be correct.

1. tiáo 調 as 調整 adjust -> I have no other options but to adjust the air pressure valve for him.
This implies the air pressure valve is not correctly set.
2. diào 調 as 調貨 get -> I have no other options but to get (another) air pressure valve for him.
This implies the air pressure valve is either broken or missing.


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## yuechu

Thanks for your reply, darren8221!
Oh! I didn't realize that both pronunciations would be possible here. (depending on the context)
Here are some of the sentences that were before it: (that have to do with the 气压阀） "那个热水器不用的时候，气压会降低，然后就放不出热水。需要打开底部的一个气压阀，等气压升到一定程度再关上气压阀，然后就有热水了。"
I think it might be tiáo 調 here, right?


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## darren8221

You must be reading this novel, so I would copy / paste the entire paragraph here.

插播一下，那个热水器不用的时候，气压会降低，然后就放不出热水。需要打开底部的一个气压阀，然后等气压上升到一定程度再关上气压阀，然后就有热水了。
我自认说明到位，但是泡泡愣是一直以一种苍白麻木的眼神看着我，向我表示他没听懂。于是我不得不亲自去给他调气压阀。

So yes, it'll be pronounced tiáo.


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## Dlyre

baosheng said:


> Hello!
> I read the following sentence in a Chinese novel today: "于是我不得不亲自去给他调气压阀." Should the character 调 here be pronounced diào or tiáo? (and what does it mean?)
> Thanks!



It should be tiao2 since it means to adjust / tune 气压阀

于是我不得不亲自去给他调气压阀
So I had no choice but to adjust the pressure valve  for him.


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## yuechu

Thanks, darren8221 and Dlyre!


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## yuechu

I am reading an article about Buddhism and have a question about the following sentence:
"常到环境好的地方独行一小时以上，内蕴安祥，念起不理，虚闲放松，不久内心便安宁调顺。"
How do you pronounce 调 here? (and would anyone be able to translate this sentence?) Thanks!


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## hx1997

Tiáo. 调和调和，调 = 和 (harmonious, peaceful).


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## patyl

yuechu said:


> "常到环境好的地方独行一小时以上，内蕴安祥，念起不理，虚闲放松，不久内心便安宁调顺。"



I don't have any knowledge in Buddhism but I'll try to translate as much as I can:
Go visit frequently a place with a good environment and walk alone for at least an hour, with your inner self at peace, your sudden thoughts swept aside, your spirit empty and relaxed, you will soon find your inner soul peaceful and harmonious.

Note that the original sentence is more vague and I have used instead more concrete ideas like self, soul and spirit.  I think the essential is there.


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## yuechu

That helps me enormously. Thanks, hx1997 and patyl!


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