調 means “investigate, tune, tone”

しらべる · shiraberu

Also: meter, key (music)

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

しらべる, しらべ, ととのう, ととのえる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

チョウ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 3 · 15 strokes

The story

Words (言) that go all the way around (周) a question: checking every side. 調べる is to look something up, 調子 is how things are running, and 調味料, seasoning, is what tunes a dish's flavor.

Used in 調べる (shiraberu, to look up/investigate), 調子 (choushi, condition), and 調査 (chousa, survey)

More from Ask & Tell

• 報 report
• 告 tell
• 求 seek
• 示 show
• 伝 convey
• 観 view
• 呼 call
• 辞 word
• 探 search
• 誤 mistake
• 鳴 cry (animal)
• 表 surface

Learn 調 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.