Definitions

diào (verb) to hang; to suspend
diào (verb) to mourn; to condole with

Etymology

Variant of . Depicts a person carrying silk streamers used for wrapping around arrows with. Based on the original meaning "silk streamers used for arrows", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "to hang" and "to hang a person".

About

吊 is an ideogrammatic compound combining the mouth radical 口 (kǒu) at the top with the towel or cloth radical 巾 (jīn) at the bottom. Its earliest structure depicted a person carrying a mourning banner, giving rise to the original meaning of offering condolences or expressing sympathy for the deceased. From the visual notion of something hanging down, the character also developed its primary meaning of suspending or hoisting an object. Today, 吊 functions both as a verb for hanging things and as a term connected to funeral rites and mourning.

Example Sentences Hide

客厅里有一盏灯。

Kètīng lǐ yǒu yī zhǎn diàodēng.

There is a pendant light in the living room.

夏天我们使用扇。

Xiàtiān wǒmen shǐyòng diàoshàn.

In summer, we use a ceiling fan.

他在树下挂了一个床。

Tā zài shù xià guà le yī gè diàochuáng.

He hung a hammock under the tree.

这座桥看起来很高。

Zhè zuò diàoqiáo kàn qǐlái hěn gāo.

This suspension bridge looks very high.

工人们用车搬运钢材。

Gōngrénmen yòng diàochē bānyùn gāngcái.

The workers use a crane to transport steel materials.

很多人来唁这位逝者。

Hěnduō rén lái diàoyàn zhè wèi shìzhě.

Many people came to condole this deceased person.

在比赛中,我们队打了对手。

Zài bǐsài zhōng, wǒmen duì diàodǎle duìshǒu.

In the match, our team thoroughly defeated the opponent.

为了安全,桥上的游客数量被严格控制。

Wèile ānquán, diàoqiáo shàng de yóukè shùliàng bèi yángé kòngzhì.

For safety, the number of tourists on the suspension bridge is strictly controlled.