Writing Balance Rule: The top component (爪) must be slightly compressed to make room for the bottom component (女), ensuring the entire character maintains a balanced vertical rectangular shape.
1. Meaning
suitable, adequate, proper
readysettled, arranged properly
Adjective / VerbNeutral#evaluation#action#status
Sample Usage
这件事已经妥了。
Zhè jiàn shì yǐjīng tuǒ le.
This matter is already settled.
这样做很妥当。
Zhè yàng zuò hěn tuǒdang.
Doing it this way is very appropriate.
2. Sound
/[tʰu̯ɔ²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
妥
tuǒtuo3
|
++
ˇ(214)
=tuǒ
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
tuo
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
t
Type: Aspirated Alveolar
Sounds like: t as in stop (aspirated)
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Explosive puff of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST flutter.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip pressed against the alveolar ridge behind the upper front teeth, releasing a strong puff of air.
Final Rhyme
uo
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: uo rhymes with the 'wo' in 'woof'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'waw'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T3 (214)
2 → 1 → 4 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips low in pitch, similar to saying 'What?' in English when expressing disbelief or hesitation.
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, it changes to a 2nd tone (rising 35).
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse the 3rd tone dip with a flat 1st tone or a sharp 4th tone drop.
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Physical Tone Gesture: Trace a checkmark in the air: dip down sharply from mid-high to low, then rise up to high.
3. Writing
Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 7 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The top component (爪) must be slightly compressed to make room for the bottom component (女), ensuring the entire character maintains a balanced vertical rectangular shape.
4. Components
Radical爪 · Claw Radical (claw, hand from above)
Semantic Clue (形旁):女 (woman, female)
A hand or claw (爪) gracefully guiding or holding a person/woman (女) steady, showing that everything is secure, suitable, and settled.
爪 Hand or claw pressing from above
女 Woman standing below
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
7· Phonetic Root: 妥 (tuǒ)
5. History
Liushu category: Compound ideogram (会意)
Origin: Originally depicted a hand (爪) subduing or taking charge of a person (女), signifying control, stability, and things being properly arranged.
Semantic Evolution: From subduing or taking control, it extended to meaning 'appropriate', 'suitable', and 'settled' or 'ready'.
The combination of hand and person reflects ancient concepts of management and pacification.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
thỏa
The Mandarin Tone 3 (dipping) corresponds conceptually with smooth falling-rising vocal inflection in expressive speech.
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Kanji (Japanese)
On: ダ (da) / Kun: たが.う (tag.u)
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Hanja (Korean)
타
Sound Shift Bridge: Mandarin initial 't' often aligns with initial 't' or dental plosives across historical language families.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
With a steady hand (爪) guiding a person (女), everything is completely settled and suitable (妥).