啍 (tūn) - To hum & to drone

啍Tone 1

tūn ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

婷婉

啍 · tūn

To hum;

to drone;

to speak slowly and heavily;

an interjection expressing contempt or disdain.

To humto droneto speak slowly and heavily

Usage highlights

Hum a tuneDrone onSpeak slowlyContemptuous 'hmph'Humming soundHeavy speech

Synonyms

  • 哼— hum; snort (more common for humming and contempt)
  • 嗡— buzz; hum (for insect or machine sounds)

Antonyms

  • 喊— shout; yell (loud vs. humming)
  • 唱— sing (clear vocalization vs. humming)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He hummed a tune (啍着曲子).
  • The machine droned on (机器啍啍作响).
  • The old man spoke slowly (老人啍啍地说).
  • He expressed disdain with a 'hmph' (他啍了一声表示不屑).

Collocations

  • Hum a tune(啍曲子)
  • Drone on(啍啍作响)
  • Speak slowly(啍啍地说)
  • Contemptuous 'hmph'(不屑地啍一声)
  • Humming sound(啍啍声)
  • Heavy speech(啍啍而言)

Idioms

  • Humming and hawing(啍啍哝哝)
  • Slow and deliberate speech(啍啍而言)
  • Contemptuous dismissal(啍而不答)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used to depict slow, deliberate, or contemptuous speech in classical and modern literature.
  • The character can represent both the sound of humming/droning and an interjection of disdain.
  • In naming contexts, it is extremely rare due to its association with slow, heavy, or contemptuous connotations.

FAQ