低调

低調

dīdiào

adjective HSK 7 #5,331

Meanings

1 low-key; understated
2 low-profile

Characters

Literally 'low tone' — keeping a quiet, understated manner.

Examples

他为人很低调。

Tā wéirén hěn dīdiào.

He's a very low-key person.

我们低调处理这件事吧。

Wǒmen dīdiào chǔlǐ zhè jiàn shì ba.

Let's handle this matter quietly.

有钱人往往很低调。

Yǒuqián rén wǎngwǎng hěn dīdiào.

Rich people are often very low-key.

Tips

culture

低调 is considered a virtue in Chinese culture, especially for the wealthy. The internet slang 闷声发大财 (mēnshēng fā dàcái, 'make a fortune quietly') captures the ideal. The opposite, 高调 (gāodiào, 'high-profile'), often carries a negative connotation of showing off.

Stroke Order

低 dī

调 tiáo