調頭

Chinese

		harmonize; reconcile; blend harmonize; reconcile; blend; suit well; provoke; incite; mode (music); to move (troops); tune; tone; melody; to transfer	head; (noun suffix)
trad. (調頭)		調	頭
simp. (调头)		调	头

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): diàotóu

(Zhuyin): ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄡˊ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: diàotóu → diàotou (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄡˊ → ㄉㄧㄠˋ ˙ㄊㄡ (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Tongyong Pinyin: diàoto̊u
  - Wade–Giles: tiao⁴-tʻou⁵
  - Yale: dyàu-tou
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: diaw.tour
  - Palladius: дяотоу (djaotou)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/ → /ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯¹/

Noun

調頭

(colloquial, derogatory) point of view; argument
tune; melody
- 洋八股必須廢止，空洞抽象的調頭必須少唱，教條主義必須休息，而代之以新鮮活潑的、為中國老百姓所喜聞樂見的中國作風和中國氣派。 [MSC, trad.]
  洋八股必须废止，空洞抽象的调头必须少唱，教条主义必须休息，而代之以新鲜活泼的、为中国老百姓所喜闻乐见的中国作风和中国气派。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 1938, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong),《中國共產黨在民族戰爭中的地位》(The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War), 《毛選》第二卷, English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition
  Yángbāgǔ bìxū fèizhǐ, kōngdòng chōuxiàng de diàotou bìxū shǎo chàng, jiàotiáozhǔyì bìxū xiūxi, ér dài zhī yǐ xīnxiān huópō de, wéi Zhōngguó lǎobǎixìng suǒ xǐwényuèjiàn de Zhōngguó zuòfēng hé Zhōngguó qìpài. [Pinyin]
  Foreign stereotypes must be abolished, there must be less singing of empty, abstract tunes, and dogmatism must be laid to rest, they must be replaced by the fresh, lively Chinese style and spirit which the common people of China love.
- 看他右手發聲之後，那左手進退揉顫，其餘音也就隨著猗猗靡靡，真是聞所未聞。初聽還在算計他的指法、調頭，既而便耳中有音，目中無指。久之，耳目俱無，覺得自己的身體飄飄蕩蕩，如隨長風，浮沉於雲霞之際。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
  看他右手发声之后，那左手进退揉颤，其余音也就随着猗猗靡靡，真是闻所未闻。初听还在算计他的指法、调头，既而便耳中有音，目中无指。久之，耳目俱无，觉得自己的身体飘飘荡荡，如随长风，浮沉于云霞之际。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
  From: 1907 CE, Liu E, The Travels of Lao Can
  Kàn tā yòushǒu fāshēng zhīhòu, nà zuǒshǒu jìn tuì róu chàn, qíyú yīn yě jiù suízhe yīyīmǐmǐ, zhēnshì wénsuǒwèiwén. Chū tīng hái zài suànjì tā de zhǐfǎ, diàotou, jì'ér biàn ěr zhōng yǒu yīn, mù zhōng wú zhǐ. Jiǔzhī, ěr mù jù wú, juéde zìjǐ de shēntǐ piāopiāodàngdàng, rú suí chángfēng, fúchén yú yúnxiá zhī jì. [Pinyin]
  After the right hand had struck the strings, the left hand moved to and fro quivering and shaking as the continuing sound rose and fell in response, i-i, mi-mi. Indeed, he was hearing something he had never heard before. At frst he was occupied in appraising the fingering and the changes of the notes. But soon there was only sound in his ears, and his eyes saw no fingers. Later still ears and eyes were both blank, and he felt his body Auttering to and fro as though carried by a strong wind, oating and again sinking in regions of glowing cloud.
(dialectal) manner of speaking

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): diàotóu

(Zhuyin): ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): diu⁶ tau⁴
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶diau-deu₆

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: diàotóu
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: diàotóu
  - Wade–Giles: tiao⁴-tʻou²
  - Yale: dyàu-tóu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: diawtour
  - Palladius: дяотоу (djaotou)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: diu⁶ tau⁴
  - Yale: diuh tàuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: diu⁶ tau⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: diu⁶ teo⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiːu̯²² tʰɐu̯²¹/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶diau-deu₆
  - MiniDict: diau^去 deu^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³diau-deu₃
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /diɔ²² dɤ⁴⁴/

Verb

調頭

to make a U-turn; to turn about; to turn around (of cars, boats, etc.)
alt. forms: 掉頭 / 掉头
(dated, of a prostitute) to move to another brothel
argument