tune

See also: Tune, tuné, and -tune

English

Etymology

From Middle English tune, an unexplained variant of tone, from Old French ton, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “a tone”). Doublet of tone, ton, and tonus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tjuːn/, /tʃuːn/

  • Audio (UK):

    (file)

• IPA^(key): /t(j)un/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -uːn
• Homophone: chewn (among those with yod-coalescence in stressed syllables)

Noun

tune (countable and uncountable, plural tunes)

1. A melody.
2. A song, or short musical composition.
3. (informal) The act of tuning or maintenance.

   Your engine needs a good tune.

4. The state or condition of being correctly tuned.

   Your engine is now in tune.

   This piano is not in tune.

5. (obsolete) Temper; frame of mind.
6. (obsolete) A sound; a note; a tone.
   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 12, column 2:

     Pray you now, if it may the ſtand with the tune of your voices, that I may bee Conſull, I haue heere the Cuſtomarie Gowne.

7. (obsolete) Order; harmony; concord.
   • 1693, [John Locke], “§72”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC, page 76:

     A child will learn three times as much when he is in tune, as when he […] is dragged unwillingly to [his task].

Derived terms

• call the tune
• can't carry a tune in a bucket
• carry a tune
• change one's tune
• dance to a different tune
• dance to a new tune
• dance to someone's tune
• in tune
• loony tune
• out of tune
• showtune, show tune
• signature tune
• sing a different tune
• sing the same tune
• subtune
• to the tune of
• tuneful
• tuneless
• tunelike
• tunemeister
• tunesmith
• tunewise
• tuny
• who pays the piper calls the tune

 

Related terms

• tone

Translations

melody

• Albanian: melodi (sq) f
• Arabic: لَحْن m (laḥn)
• Armenian: մեղեդի (hy) (meġedi)
• Azerbaijani: nəğmə (az)
• Basque: please add this translation if you can
• Belarusian: мело́дыя f (mjelódyja), маты́ў m (matýŭ), напе́ў m (napjéŭ)
• Bulgarian: мело́дия (bg) f (melódija), моти́в (bg) m (motív), напе́в (bg) m (napév)
• Burmese: တေးသွား (my) (te:swa:)
• Catalan: melodia (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Dungan: чүзы (čüzɨ), чүр (čür)

  Mandarin: 曲調／曲调 (zh) (qǔdiào), 曲调 (zh) (qǔdiào), 曲子 (zh) (qǔzi), 樂曲／乐曲 (zh) (yuèqǔ), 乐曲 (zh) (yuèqǔ)

• Czech: melodie (cs) f, nápěv m
• Danish: melodi (da) c
• Dutch: melodie (nl) f
• Esperanto: melodio
• Estonian: meloodia
• Finnish: sävel (fi)
• French: mélodie (fr) f, air (fr) m
• Galician: melodía (gl) f
• Georgian: მელოდია (melodia)
• German: Melodie (de) f
• Greek: μελωδία (el) f (melodía)

  Ancient: μέλος n (mélos)

• Hebrew: מַנְגִּינָה (he) f (manginá)
• Hungarian: dallam (hu), melódia (hu)
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} ábhann (ga) m, tiúin f
• Italian: melodia (it) f
• Japanese: 曲 (ja) (きょく, kyoku), チューン (chūn), 楽曲 (ja) (がっきょく, gakkyoku), 旋律 (ja) (せんりつ, senritsu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Khmer: បទភ្លេង (bɑt phleing)
• Korean: 곡(曲) (ko) (gok), 곡조(曲調) (ko) (gokjo), 악곡(樂曲) (ko) (akgok), 선율(旋律) (ko) (seonyul)
• Lao: ທຳນອງ (tham nǭng)
• Latin: canor m
• Latvian: melodija f
• Lithuanian: melodija f
• Macedonian: мелодија f (melodija), напев m (napev)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: ая (mn) (aja)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: melodi (no) m

• Plautdietsch: Wies f
• Polish: melodia (pl) f
• Portuguese: melodia (pt) f
• Romanian: melodie (ro) f
• Russian: мело́дия (ru) f (melódija), моти́в (ru) m (motív), напе́в (ru) m (napév)
• Scottish Gaelic: port m, fonn m, mànran m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: мѐло̄дија f

  Roman: mèlōdija (sh) f

• Slovak: melódia f, nápev m
• Slovene: melodija f
• Spanish: melodía (es) f
• Swedish: melodi (sv) c
• Tagalog: tunig
• Thai: ทำนอง (th) (tam-nɔɔng)
• Tocharian B: kene
• Ukrainian: мело́дія (uk) f (melódija), моти́в m (motýv), на́спів m (náspiv)
• Vietnamese: điệu nhạc, âm điệu (vi)
• Zazaki: hewa (diq) c

song, short musical composition

• Azerbaijani: mahnı (az)
• Bulgarian: пе́сен (bg) f (pésen)
• Catalan: tonada f
• Finnish: sävelmä (fi), ralli (fi), laulelma
• Hebrew: שִׁיר (he) m (shir)
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} ábhann (ga) m, tiúin f
• Italian: composizione (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: canor
• Russian: мело́дия (ru) f (melódija)
• Spanish: tonada (es) f
• Swedish: låt (sv) c, melodi (sv) c
• Tagalog: tunig

informal: act of tuning

• Bulgarian: настро́йка (bg) f (nastrójka)
• Finnish: säätö (fi), tuunaus (fi)
• Italian: regolazione (it) f, messa a punto
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: tunar (pt)
• Russian: настро́йка (ru) f (nastrójka)

state of being correctly tuned

• Finnish: vire (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: настро́енный (ru) (nastrójennyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} deun (nl) m, ^{(please verify)} wijs (nl) f or m
• French: ^{(please verify)} tube (fr) m (slang)
• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} lag (is) n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} ئاواز (ckb) (awaz)

• Mandarin:

  Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 曲調／曲调 (zh) (qǔdiào), ^{(please verify)} 曲调 (zh) (qǔdiào), ^{(please verify)} 曲子 (zh) (qǔzi), ^{(please verify)} 歌曲 (zh) (gēqǔ)

Interjection

tune

1. (UK, slang) Used to show appreciation or approval of a song.

   You heard the new Rizzle Kicks song? — Tune!

Verb

tune (third-person singular simple present tunes, present participle tuning, simple past and past participle tuned)

1. To adjust (a musical instrument) so that it produces the correct pitches.

   to tune a piano or a violin

   • 1568, William Cornishe [i.e., William Cornysh], “In the Fleete Made by Me William Cornishe otherwise Called Nyshwhete Chapelman with the Most Famose and Noble Kyng Henry the VII. His Reygne the XIX. Yere the Moneth of July. A Treatise betwene Trouth, and Information.”, in John Skelton, edited by J[ohn] S[tow], Pithy Pleasaunt and Profitable Workes of Maister Skelton, Poete Laureate, London: […] Thomas Marshe, →OCLC; republished as Pithy Pleasaunt and Profitable Workes of Maister Skelton, Poete Laureate to King Henry the VIIIth, London: […] C. Davis […], 1736, →OCLC, page 290:

     The Harpe. […] A harper with his wreſt maye tune the harpe wrong / Mys tunying of an Inſtrument ſhal hurt a true ſonge

   • 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act II, page 21:

     She bids me hope; oh Heav'ns; ſhe pities me! / And pity ſtill foreruns approching love; / As Lightning does the Thunder! Tune your Harps / Ye Angels to that ſound; and thou, my Heart, / Make room to entertain thy flowing Joy.

   • 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Tenth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: Printed for Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 199:

     Fortune foretun'd the Dying Notes of Rome: / Till I, thy Conſul ſole, conſol'd thy Doom.

2. To adjust or modify (esp. a mechanical or electrical device) so that it functions optimally.

   Tuning the engine gave me an extra twenty horsepower.

   Tune your mind, and anything becomes possible.

3. To adjust the frequency on a radio or TV set, so as to receive the desired channel.

   Tune to Channel 6 for all your favourite daytime shows.

4. Of faculties, senses, etc.: to adapt to or direct towards a particular target.

   My ears were tuned to the sounds of the forest.

5. To make more precise, intense, or effective; to put into a proper state or disposition.
   • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 246, column 2:

     [H]ee hath incurred the euerlaſting diſpleaſure of the King, who had euen tun'd his bounty to ſing happineſſe to him.

6. To attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious.
   • c. 1630, John Milton, “The Passion”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, stanza II, page 17:

     For now to ſorrow must I tune my ſong, / And ſet my Harpe to notes of ſaddeſt wo, […]

7. (transitive) To give a certain tone or character to.
8. (obsolete) To sing with melody or harmony.
   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [1880], →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     To ſee great Hercules whipping a Gigge, / And profound Sallomon to tune a Iigge.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC, lines 195-196:

     Fountains and yee, that warble, as ye flow, / Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praiſe.

9. (transitive, South Africa, slang) To be impudent towards; to cheek.

   Are you tuning me?

10. (fandom slang) to adjust the parameters of singing voice synthesis software such as VOCALOID (in order to achieve certain singing techniques, increase the human quality of the voice, etc.)
    • 2017 August 10, Keisuke Yamada, Supercell's Supercell featuring Hatsune Miku, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, →ISBN:

      […] Those who are highly skilled in manipulating the Vocaloid technology—e.g., tuning Miku's singing voices—arrange existing […]

    • 2018 December 6, Nina Sun Eidsheim, The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music, Duke University Press, →ISBN:

      LOLA's voice is used simply to render basic notes and words with no pitch or expression tuning applied.

    • 2020, Janice L. Waldron, Stephanie Horsley, Kari K. Veblen, The Oxford Handbook of Social Media and Music Learning, Oxford University Press, USA, →ISBN, page 522:

      This compiling of a track holds many parallels with “tuning” a Miku track, […]

Derived terms

• fine-tune
• stay tuned
• tune in
• tune in, turn on, drop out
• tune out
• tuner
• tune up

 

Related terms

• attune

Translations

to adjust a musical instrument

• Bulgarian: настройвам (bg) (nastrojvam)
• Catalan: afinar (ca)
• Czech: ladit (cs)
• Dutch: afstemmen (nl), stemmen (nl)
• Esperanto: agordi
• Finnish: virittää (fi)
• French: accorder (fr)
• Galician: afinar (gl), temperar (gl)
• German: stimmen (de)
• Hungarian: hangol (hu)
• Irish: tiúin, tiúnáil
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: accordare (it)
• Korean: 조율하다 (joyulhada)
• Polish: stroić (pl)
• Portuguese: afinar (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: gleus
• Spanish: afinar (es)
• Swedish: stämma (sv)
• Tagalog: itunig
• Thai: ตั้งเสียง, เทียบเสียง
• Turkish: akort etmek (tr), akortlamak (tr)

to adjust (e.g. a mechanical or electrical device) so that it functions optimally

• Bulgarian: настройвам (bg) (nastrojvam)
• Danish: justere
• Finnish: virittää (fi)
• Irish: tiúnáil
• Italian: regolare (it), registrare (it), mettere a punto
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: ajustar (pt)
• Spanish: afinar (es)
• Swedish: justera (sv)
• Thai: ปรับแต่ง

to adjust the frequency on a radio or TV set, so as to receive the desired channel

• Bulgarian: настройвам (bg) (nastrojvam)
• French: syntoniser (fr)
• Galician: sintonizar
• Irish: tiúnáil
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: sintonizar
• Spanish: sintonizar (es)

to adapt to or direct towards a particular target

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

to make more precise, intense, or effective

• Finnish: virittää (fi)
• Italian: affinare (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: afinar (pt), ajustar (pt)
• Spanish: afinar (es)

to adjust the parameters of singing voice synthesis software

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 調教／调教 (zh) (tiáojiào), 调教 (zh) (tiáojiào)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 調教 (ja) (chōkyō), 調声 (chōsei)

Further reading

• “tune”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “tune”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Nute, neut, neut.

---

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tyn/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

tune f (plural tunes)

1. (slang) Alternative spelling of thune

Further reading

• “tune”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• tenu

---

German

Verb

tune

1. inflection of tunen:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I
   3. singular imperative

---

Middle English

Noun

tune

1. Alternative form of toun

---

Ngarrindjeri

tune or sand

Noun

tune

1. sand

---

Portuguese

Verb

tune

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of tunar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of tunar
3. first-person singular imperative of tunar
4. third-person singular imperative of tunar

---

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtune]

Verb

tune

1. third-person singular/plural present subjunctive of tuna

---

Spanish

Verb

tune

1. inflection of tunar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

---

Tarantino

Pronoun

tune (personal, second person singular)

1. you

tune m (possessive, feminine toje)

1. your