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琴瑟不調

简琴瑟不调 · 繁琴瑟不調

Mandarin · pinyin qín sè bù tiáo

out of tune
marital discord, cf qin and se 琴瑟, two string instruments as symbol of marital harmony

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Characters in this entry

琴: qín · Chinese lute or guitar
瑟: sè · large stringed musical instrument; dignified, massive; sound of wind
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
調: Look up this written character
调: diào · transfer, move, change; tune

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–4–4–2 · qin2 se4 bu4 tiao2

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

琴瑟不調 · find source passages ↗ · 琴瑟不调 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

kam4 sat1 bat1 tiu4

Cantonese word readings for 琴瑟不調. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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