Meaning
单调 describes something that lacks variety, change, or interest. It's commonly used to express that life, work, colors, sounds, or routines are repetitive and uninteresting. The word combines 单 (single, alone) and 调 (tone, tune) to convey the sense of a single unchanging tone.
Usage
单调 is frequently used to describe repetitive daily routines, boring work, monotonous voices or music, and unvaried color schemes. It carries a negative connotation and implies the speaker finds something tedious or lacking excitement. Common patterns include 生活很单调 (life is monotonous) and 工作单调 (work is boring).
Examples
- 01每天做同样的工作，生活太单调了。, .Doing the same work every day, life is too monotonous.
- 02这首歌的旋律很单调，听久了觉得无聊。, .This song's melody is very monotonous; it gets boring after listening for a while.
Characters
Common collocations
- 单调乏味monotonous and dull
- 生活单调life is monotonous
- 工作单调work is monotonous
- 色彩单调colors are dull/monotonous
Antonyms
Origin
The word literally means 'single tone,' drawing from the image of music or speech that lacks variation in pitch or melody, extended metaphorically to mean anything lacking variety or interest.