情调

• Pinyin: qíng diào
• Hanzi breakdown: 情 = 忄+ 青 (feeling); 调 = 讠+ 周 (tone/tune/adjust)

Meaning

Mood; ambiance; a distinctive emotional atmosphere or quality characterising a place, work, or occasion. Often implies a romantic or artistic colouring.

Describes the emotional tone of a scene, artistic work, or environment. 有情调 means romantically or atmospherically appealing. Used in restaurant reviews, literary criticism, and lifestyle writing. 小资情调 refers to a bourgeois, artsy aesthetic lifestyle.

Examples

1. 这家餐厅灯光柔和、音乐舒缓，营造出令人沉醉的浪漫情调。 With soft lighting and soothing music, the restaurant creates a romantic atmosphere that’s easy to get lost in.
2. 他的诗作充满了忧郁而迷人的异域情调，引发无数读者深深的情感共鸣。 His poems are full of a melancholy yet captivating exotic mood, stirring deep emotional resonance in countless readers.
3. 她习惯用鲜花和蜡烛布置餐桌，为每一次家庭聚餐增添一份独特的情调。 She likes to set the table with fresh flowers and candles, adding a special touch to every family meal.

Usage Guide

Context: romance, aesthetics, lifestyle, literature

Tone: evocative

Do Say

• 这座老城区的街道与建筑散发着浓厚的历史情调，吸引大批摄影爱好者前来取景。(The streets and buildings of this old district exude a rich historical atmosphere, drawing many photography enthusiasts to capture the scene.)
• 他精心为约会布置了满室玫瑰花香，整个空间弥漫着细腻而浓郁的浪漫情调。(He carefully filled the space with the fragrance of roses for the date, the entire room suffused with a delicate, rich romantic ambiance.)

Don't Say

• 他说话很有情调 — use 有情趣 or 有品味 for someone with a refined or charming personality; 情调 refers to the atmosphere of a setting or work, not a person's conversational style

Origin & History

情 (emotion/feeling) + 调 (tone/mode) — the emotional tone of something

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal