调动

• Pinyin: diào dòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 调 = 讠(speech) + 周 (complete); 动 = 云 (cloud) + 力 (strength)

Meaning

To transfer; to mobilize; to reassign. To move personnel or resources from one position to another.

Common in work contexts for job transfers (工作调动) and in military contexts for troop movements. Also used abstractly for mobilizing enthusiasm, resources, or emotions.

Examples

1. 公司决定把他调动到上海分公司工作。 The company decided to transfer him to work at the Shanghai branch.
2. 好的老师善于调动学生的学习积极性。 Good teachers are skilled at mobilizing students' enthusiasm for learning.
3. 为了完成这个项目，我们调动了所有可用的资源。 To complete this project, we mobilized all available resources.

Usage Guide

Context: work, military, management

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 工作调动通知。(Job transfer notice.)
• 调动积极性。(Mobilize enthusiasm.)

Don't Say

• '调动'用于正式的人事或资源分配——朋友帮忙移动东西用'搬动'而非'调动' (调动 is for formal personnel or resource allocation — for friends helping move things, use 搬动 not 调动)

Origin & History

Compound of 调 (to transfer, adjust) + 动 (to move), meaning to move or reassign.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal