off-key; out of tune
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to be off-key; to be out of tune (when singing or playing music)
Often used with the erhua suffix -r (走调儿). Refers to singing, opera performance, or playing musical instruments where the pitch deviates from the correct tune.
Tā他
chàng唱
gē歌
ài爱
zǒu走
diào调
r儿
。
He tends to sing off-key.
Zhè这
bǎ把
xiǎo小
tí提
qín琴
zǒu走
diào调
le了
，
xū需
yào要
tiáo调
yīn音
。
This violin is out of tune and needs tuning.
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Tā她
chàng唱
xì戏
cóng从
lái来
bù不
zǒu走
diào调
。
She never sings off-key when performing opera.