Traditional: 弔
diào HSK 6

English Meaning

Categories

📚 Example Sentences

他把画吊在墙上。
Tā bǎ huà diào zài qiáng shàng.
He hangs the painting on the wall.
吊灯照亮了客厅。
Diàodēng zhàoliàng le kètīng.
The pendant light illuminates the living room.
工人吊起沉重的箱子。
Gōngrén diào qǐ chénzhòng de xiāngzi.
The worker suspends the heavy box.
他吊在树上。
Tā diào zài shù shàng.
He hangs on the tree.
吊灯很漂亮。
Diàodēng hěn piàoliang.
The chandelier is beautiful.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine a 'DIAOmond' (sounds like diào) pendant hanging from a necklace—this visual can help recall the meaning 'to hang'.

📝 Usage Notes

It is used in both spoken and written Chinese, in neutral to slightly formal contexts. Common contexts include describing hanging objects (like lights, decorations, or items on a hook), as well as in specific phrases related to lifting or hoisting (e.g., in construction).

📖 Grammar Points

Often used in the structure '在 + location + 吊着 + object' (e.g., 在天花板上吊着一盏灯) to indicate where something is hanging. It can also be used with resultative complements like 吊起来 (to hang up).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In traditional Chinese culture, 吊 can appear in somber contexts like 吊丧 (to offer condolences) or 吊死 (to hang oneself), so it may carry negative connotations in certain phrases. It's also used in 吊桥 (suspension bridge), reflecting historical engineering.

🔄 Similar Words

挂 (guà) also means 'to hang', but 挂 often implies attaching something to a wall or hook where it rests (like a picture), while 吊 emphasizes suspension from above with a sense of dangling (like a hanging lamp). 悬 (xuán) is more literary and means 'to suspend' or 'to hang in the air'.

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