四声 四聲 sì shēng the four tones of Middle Chinese: level tone 平聲|平声, rising tone 上聲|上声, departing tone 去聲|去声 and entering tone 入聲|入声 / the four tones of Modern Standard Mandarin syn 仄声 仄聲 zè shēng oblique tone / nonlevel tone / uneven tone (the third tone of Classical Chinese) 一声 一聲 yī shēng first tone in Mandarin (high, level tone) 口气 口氣 kǒu qì tone of voice / the way one speaks / manner of expression / tone syn 声调 聲調 shēng diào tone / note / a tone (on a Chinese syllable) / CL:個|个[ge4] syn 变调 變調 biàn diào tone sandhi / modified tone / (music) to change key / modulation syn 阳平 陽平 yáng píng evenly rising tone, the second tone of putonghua syn 去声 去聲 qù shēng falling tone / fourth tone in modern Mandarin syn 入声 入聲 rù shēng entering tone / checked tone / one of the four tones of Middle Chinese 上声 上聲 shǎng shēng falling and rising tone / third tone in modern Mandarin syn 阴平 陰平 yīn píng high and level tone, the first tone of putonghua syn 押平声韵 押平聲韻 yā píng shēng yùn to restrict to even tone (i.e. final rhyming syllable must be classical first or second tone 平聲|平声) 按键音 按鍵音 àn jiàn yīn keypad tone / key tone 第一声 第一聲 dì yī shēng first tone in Mandarin / high, level tone syn 第三声 第三聲 dì sān shēng third tone in Mandarin / falling-rising tone syn 第二声 第二聲 dì èr shēng second tone in Mandarin / rising tone syn 第四声 第四聲 dì sì shēng fourth tone in Mandarin / falling tone syn 阴平声 陰平聲 yīn píng shēng high and level tone, the first tone of putonghua 阳平声 陽平聲 yáng píng shēng evenly rising tone, the second tone of putonghua 文字 wén zì character / script / writing / written language / writing style / phraseology / CL:個|个[ge4] syn 写法 寫法 xiě fǎ style of writing (literary style) / way of writing a character / spelling 应用文 應用文 yìng yòng wén applied writing / writing for practical purposes (business letters, advertising etc) syn 硬笔 硬筆 yìng bǐ generic term for hard writing instruments such as quill pens, fountain pens, ball pens and pencils, as opposed to writing brushes 润色 潤色 rùn sè to polish (a piece of writing) / to add a few finishing touches to (a piece of writing, painting etc) syn 笔锋 筆鋒 bǐ fēng the tip of a writing brush / vigor of style in writing / stroke / touch 翰 hàn writing brush / writing / pen syn 屠毒笔墨 屠毒筆墨 tú dú bǐ mò poisonous writing / disparaging writing / calumny 倒写 倒寫 dào xiě mirror writing / upside down writing 扶乩 fú jī planchette writing / to do planchette writing 绮语 綺語 qǐ yǔ flowery writing / writing concerning love and sex 辍笔 輟筆 chuò bǐ to stop writing or painting / to leave off writing midway 毛锥 毛錐 máo zhuī writing brush (old) / Castanopsis fordii, a species of evergreen tree common in the south of China whose calybia (nuts) resemble the tip of a writing brush 一下 yī xià (after a verb) a bit / a little (indicating brief duration, or softening the tone, or suggesting giving sth a try) / all at once / suddenly syn 语气 語氣 yǔ qì tone / manner of speaking / mood / CL:個|个[ge4] syn 彩铃 彩鈴 cǎi líng (telephony) ringback tone 轻声 輕聲 qīng shēng quietly / softly / neutral tone / light stress 音质 音質 yīn zhì tone / sound quality / timbre syn 话音 話音 huà yīn one's speaking voice / tone / implication syn 色调 色調 sè diào hue / tone syn 音色 yīn sè tone / timbre / sound color syn 流露 liú lù to reveal (indirectly, implicitly) / to show (interest, contempt etc) by means of one's actions, tone of voice etc syn 语调 語調 yǔ diào intonation / tone of voice / CL:個|个[ge4] 口吻 kǒu wěn tone of voice / connotation in intonation / accent (regional etc) / snout / muzzle / lips / protruding portion of an animal's face syn 松动 鬆動 sōng dòng loose / slack / (fig.) to soften (policies, tone of voice) / to give some slack / (of a place) not crowded syn 音调 音調 yīn diào pitch of voice (high or low) / pitch (of a musical note) / tone syn 调子 調子 diào zi tune / melody / tuning / cadence / intonation / (speech) tone syn 短促 duǎn cù short in time / fleeting / brief / gasping (breath) / curt (tone of voice) syn 腔调 腔調 qiāng diào a tune / a melody / accent (distinctive way of pronouncing a language) / tone (manner of expression) / elegance / refinement syn 话锋 話鋒 huà fēng topic under discussion / direction or tone of the conversation syn 口风 口風 kǒu fēng meaning behind the words / what sb really means to say / one's intentions as revealed in one's words / tone of speech syn 校风 校風 xiào fēng the tone of a school / campus atmosphere 调头 調頭 diào tou tone (of voice) / tune syn 乐音 樂音 yuè yīn musical note / tone syn 主音 zhǔ yīn keynote / principal tone / tonic / vowel 音韵 音韻 yīn yùn music / rhyme and rhythm / initial, 音[yin1], and final and tone, 韻|韵[yun4], of a Chinese character / phoneme 韵母 韻母 yùn mǔ the final of a Chinese syllable (the component of a syllable remaining after removal of the initial consonant, if any, and the tone, e.g. the final of "niáng" is "iang") 调性 調性 diào xìng (music) tonality / (of an actor, company, magazine etc) style / image / tone / voice / character 音高 yīn gāo pitch (music) / tone 一锤定音 一錘定音 yī chuí dìng yīn lit. to fix the tone with a single hammer blow / fig. to make the final decision syn 声 聲 shēng sound / voice / tone / noise / reputation / classifier for sounds syn 声气 聲氣 shēng qì voice / tone / information syn 平声 平聲 píng shēng level or even tone / first and second tones in modern Mandarin 话茬 話茬 huà chá tone of voice / topic / subject under discussion 纯音 純音 chún yīn pure tone 调 調 diào to transfer / to move (troops or cadres) / to investigate / to enquire into / accent / view / argument / key (in music) / mode (music) / tune / tone / melody syn 音 yīn sound / noise / note (of musical scale) / tone / news / syllable / reading (phonetic value of a character) syn 回铃音 回鈴音 huí líng yīn ringback tone 升调 昇調 shēng diào to promote to a higher post / (linguistics) rising intonation / (Chinese linguistics) rising tone 反切 fǎn qiè traditional system expressing the phonetic value of a Chinese character using two other characters, the first for the initial consonant, the second for the rhyme and tone 基音 jī yīn fundamental tone 吕 呂 lǚ pitchpipe, pitch standard, one of the twelve semitones in the traditional tone system 挫 cuò obstructed / to fail / to oppress / to repress / to lower the tone / to bend back / to dampen syn 嘞 lei sentence-final particle similar to 了[le5], but carrying a tone of approval syn 连续变调 連續變調 lián xù biàn diào tone sandhi 声调轮廓 聲調輪廓 shēng diào lún kuò tone contour 同调 同調 tóng diào same tone / in agreement with / homology (invariant of a topological space in math.) syn 二声 二聲 èr shēng second tone 五音不全 wǔ yīn bù quán tone deaf / unable to sing in tune syn 促声 促聲 cù shēng entering tone (synonym of 入聲|入声[ru4sheng1]) 全度音 quán dù yīn whole tone (musical interval) 全音 quán yīn whole tone (musical interval) 反问语气 反問語氣 fǎn wèn yǔ qì tone of one's voice when asking a rhetorical question 口锋 口鋒 kǒu fēng manner of speech / tone of voice 哭腔 kū qiāng sobbing tone / sob / dirge / opera tune portraying mourning 唱臂 chàng bì tone-arm (tracking arm of gramophone) 字调 字調 zì diào tone of a character syn 定调 定調 dìng diào to set the tone 定调子 定調子 dìng diào zi to set the tone 带调 帶調 dài diào to have a tone mark 拨号音 撥號音 bō hào yīn dial tone 暖调 暖調 nuǎn diào warm tone / warm color 标准音 標準音 biāo zhǔn yīn standard pronunciation / standard tone (e.g. A = 440 Hz) syn 调号 調號 diào hào tone mark on a Chinese syllable (i.e. accents on ā á ǎ à) / (music) key signature 韵书 韻書 yùn shū rime dictionary (ancient type of Chinese dictionary that collates characters by tone and rhyme rather than by radical) 韵调 韻調 yùn diào rhyme and tone / intonation 色调控制卫星成象 色調控制衛星成象 tone-controlled satellite imagery 笛膜 dí mó membrane which covers a hole in a flute and produces a buzzing tone 膜孔 mó kǒng hole in the body of a musical instrument, covered with a membrane which produces a buzzing tone 音痴 yīn chī tone deaf 