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 声 聲 shēng sound / voice / tone / noise / reputation / classifier for sounds syn 钥匙 鑰匙 yào shi key / CL:把[ba3] syn 关键 關鍵 guān jiàn crucial point / crux / CL:個|个[ge4] / key / crucial / pivotal syn 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 重点 重點 zhòng diǎn important point / main point / focus / key (project etc) / to focus on / to put the emphasis on syn 语气 語氣 yǔ qì tone / manner of speaking / mood / CL:個|个[ge4] syn 元素 yuán sù element (key component of sth) / (chemistry) element / (math.) element (member of a set) syn 低调 低調 dī diào low pitch / quiet (voice) / subdued / low-key / low-profile 口气 口氣 kǒu qì tone of voice / the way one speaks / manner of expression / tone syn 调头 調頭 diào tou tone (of voice) / tune syn 关节 關節 guān jié joint (physiology) / key point / critical phase syn 秘诀 秘訣 mì jué secret know-how / key (to longevity) / secret (of happiness) / recipe (for success) syn 要害 yào hài vital part / (fig.) key point / crucial syn 强项 強項 qiáng xiàng key strength / strong suit / specialty 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 诀窍 訣竅 jué qiào secret / trick / knack / key syn 音调 音調 yīn diào pitch of voice (high or low) / pitch (of a musical note) / tone syn 回车 回車 huí chē to turn a vehicle around / (computing) "carriage return" character / the "Enter" key / to hit the "Enter" key 调子 調子 diào zi tune / melody / tuning / cadence / intonation / (speech) tone 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 语调 語調 yǔ diào intonation / tone of voice / CL:個|个[ge4] 要素 yào sù essential factor / key constituent syn 轻声 輕聲 qīng shēng quietly / softly / neutral tone / light stress 小调 小調 xiǎo diào xiaodiao, a Chinese folk song genre / minor key (in music) syn 按键 按鍵 àn jiàn button or key (on a device) / keystroke / CL:個|个[ge4] / to press a button 口吻 kǒu wěn tone of voice / connotation in intonation / accent (regional etc) / snout / muzzle / lips / protruding portion of an animal's face syn 声调 聲調 shēng diào tone / note / a tone (on a Chinese syllable) / CL:個|个[ge4] syn 大调 大調 dà diào major key (in music) 走调 走調 zǒu diào out of tune / off-key 斯蒂文 sī dì wén Steven (name) / Simon Stevin (1548-1620), Flemish engineer and mathematician, played a key role in introducing the decimal system to Europe 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 色调 色調 sè diào hue / tone syn 音色 yīn sè tone / timbre / sound color syn 音质 音質 yīn zhì tone / sound quality / timbre syn 基调 基調 jī diào main key (of a musical composition) / keynote (speech) 主音 zhǔ yīn keynote / principal tone / tonic / vowel 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 要务 要務 yào wù key task / important affair 短促 duǎn cù short in time / fleeting / brief / gasping (breath) / curt (tone of voice) syn 音高 yīn gāo pitch (music) / tone 要员 要員 yào yuán key participant / VIP syn 话音 話音 huà yīn one's speaking voice / tone / implication syn 轴心 軸心 zhóu xīn axle / (fig.) central element / key element / axis (alliance of nations) syn 琴键 琴鍵 qín jiàn a piano key 变调 變調 biàn diào tone sandhi / modified tone / (music) to change key / modulation syn 须知 須知 xū zhī key information / instructions / it must be borne in mind syn 要件 yào jiàn key document / important condition / criterion / requirement / requisite / cornerstone 阳平 陽平 yáng píng evenly rising tone, the second tone of putonghua syn 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 快捷键 快捷鍵 kuài jié jiàn (computer) shortcut key / hotkey 题解 題解 tí jiě notes / key (to exercises) 坎儿 坎兒 kǎn r critical juncture / key moment syn 主将 主將 zhǔ jiàng commander-in-chief (military) / star player (sports) / key figure (in an organization) syn 乐音 樂音 yuè yīn musical note / tone syn 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 话茬 話茬 huà chá tone of voice / topic / subject under discussion 回车键 回車鍵 huí chē jiàn (computing) enter key / return key (on a keyboard) 基本点 基本點 jī běn diǎn key point / crux / (finance) basis point, abbr. to 基點|基点[ji1dian3] syn 上声 上聲 shǎng shēng falling and rising tone / third tone in modern Mandarin syn 一声 一聲 yī shēng first tone in Mandarin (high, level tone) 攻关 攻關 gōng guān to storm a strategic pass / fig. to tackle a key problem 话锋 話鋒 huà fēng topic under discussion / direction or tone of the conversation syn 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") 笔调 筆調 bǐ diào (of writing) tone / style syn 桥头堡 橋頭堡 qiáo tóu bǎo bridgehead (military) / stronghold serving as a base for advancing further into enemy territory / bridge tower (ornamental structure at either end of a bridge) / (fig.) gateway (place that provides access to other places beyond it) / bridgehead (key location serving as a base for further expansion) 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 纯音 純音 chún yīn pure tone 最重要 zuì zhòng yào most important / key 彩铃 彩鈴 cǎi líng (telephony) ringback tone 序列号 序列號 xù liè hào serial number / product key (software) 龙头企业 龍頭企業 lóng tóu qǐ yè key enterprises / leading enterprises 关键时刻 關鍵時刻 guān jiàn shí kè key moment / critical time 键入 鍵入 jiàn rù to key in / to input / to enter (some text) 要诀 要訣 yào jué the key trick / the secret of success syn 万能钥匙 萬能鑰匙 wàn néng yào shi master key / skeleton key / passkey 校风 校風 xiào fēng the tone of a school / campus atmosphere 牛鼻子 niú bí zi key point / crux / (old) Daoist (facetious) 锁匙 鎖匙 suǒ chí (dialect) key / Taiwan pr. [suo3 shi5] 调性 調性 diào xìng (music) tonality / (of an actor, company, magazine etc) style / image / tone / voice / character 敲入 qiāo rù to key in / to input 打码 打碼 dǎ mǎ to pixelate an image / to key in captcha authentication codes 跑调 跑調 pǎo diào to be off-key or out of tune (while singing) (colloquial) 蔡锷 蔡鍔 cài è Cai E (1882-1916), military leader who was a key figure in the establishment the National Protection Army 護國軍|护国军[Hu4guo2jun1], which in 1916 fought the forces of Yuan Shikai 袁世凱|袁世凯[Yuan2 Shi4kai3], who had tried to reestablish the monarchy with himself as emperor 去声 去聲 qù shēng falling tone / fourth tone in modern Mandarin syn 转调 轉調 zhuǎn diào (music) to change key / modulation / (of an employee) to be transferred to another post syn 入声 入聲 rù shēng entering tone / checked tone / one of the four tones of Middle Chinese 箭头键 箭頭鍵 jiàn tóu jiàn arrow key (on keyboard) 阴平 陰平 yīn píng high and level tone, the first tone of putonghua syn 音 yīn sound / noise / note (of musical scale) / tone / news / syllable / reading (phonetic value of a character) syn 键 鍵 jiàn key (on a piano or computer keyboard) / button (on a mouse or other device) / chemical bond / linchpin 钥 鑰 yào key syn 钥 鑰 yuè key / also pr. [yao4] syn 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 纲 綱 gāng head rope of a fishing net / guiding principle / key link / class (taxonomy) / outline / program syn 窍 竅 qiào hole / opening / orifice (of the human body) / (fig.) key (to the solution of a problem) syn 