作用 zuò yòng to act on / to affect / action / function / activity / impact / result / effect / purpose / intent / (suffix) -ation, -tion etc, as in 抑制作用[yi4 zhi4 zuo4 yong4], inhibition syn 冲击 衝擊 chōng jī to attack / to batter / (of waves) to pound against / shock / impact syn 深沉 shēn chén deep / profound / (of a person) reserved / undemonstrative / (of a voice, sound etc) deep / low-pitched syn 自卑 zì bēi to have low self-esteem / to abase oneself syn 埋伏 mái fú to ambush / to lie in wait for / to lie low / ambush syn 淡水 dàn shuǐ potable water (water with low salt content) / fresh water 假冒伪劣 假冒偽劣 jiǎ mào wěi liè cheap quality counterfeit (goods) / low-quality commodities syn 无精打采 無精打采 wú jīng dǎ cǎi dispirited and downcast (idiom) / listless / in low spirits / washed out 廉租房 lián zū fáng low-rent housing 安全期 ān quán qī safe period / safe days of a woman's menstrual cycle (low risk of conception) 低保真 dī bǎo zhēn low fidelity / lo-fi 慢火 màn huǒ low heat (cooking) 窑子 窯子 yáo zi (old) low-grade brothel syn 避风头 避風頭 bì fēng tou to lie low (until the fuss dies down) 蹲伏 dūn fú to crouch low and bend forward (esp. in hiding or in wait) 低 dī low / beneath / to lower (one's head) / to let droop / to hang down / to incline syn 冲击钻 衝擊鑽 chōng jī zuàn impact drill / hammer drill 矮 ǎi (of a person) short / (of a wall etc) low / (of rank) inferior (to) / lower (than) syn 灌水 guàn shuǐ to irrigate / to pour water into / to inject water into meat to increase its weight (plumping) / to cook the books / to post low-value messages (small talk etc) on Internet forums 隐藏 隱藏 yǐn cáng to hide / to conceal / to mask / to shelter / to harbor (i.e. keep sth hidden) / to hide oneself / to lie low / to nestle / hidden / implicit / private / covert / recessed (lighting) syn 低价 低價 dī jià low price syn 影响力 影響力 yǐng xiǎng lì influence / impact 低声 低聲 dī shēng in a low voice / softly syn 小人 xiǎo rén person of low social status (old) / I, me (used to refer humbly to oneself) / nasty person / vile character syn 回落 huí luò to fall back / to return to low level after a rise (in water level, price etc) syn 小声 小聲 xiǎo shēng in a low voice / (speak) in whispers 低端 dī duān low-end 不快 bù kuài unhappy / in low spirits / (of a knife) not sharp syn 低下 dī xià low status / lowly / to lower (one's head) syn 廉价 廉價 lián jià cheaply-priced / low-cost syn 低调 低調 dī diào low pitch / quiet (voice) / subdued / low-key / low-profile 小妹 xiǎo mèi little sister / girl / (Tw) young female employee working in a low-level role dealing with the public (assistant, waitress, attendant etc) 低廉 dī lián cheap / inexpensive / low syn 低沉 dī chén (of weather) overcast / gloomy / (of a voice) low and deep / low-spirited / downcast syn 低温 低溫 dī wēn low temperature 低级 低級 dī jí low level / rudimentary / vulgar / low / inferior syn 低迷 dī mí blurred (landscape etc) / low (spirits) / in a slump (economy) syn 低成本 dī chéng běn low cost / inexpensive 下级 下級 xià jí low ranking / low level / underclass / subordinate syn 低压 低壓 dī yā low pressure / low voltage 偏低 piān dī to be on the low side / to be inadequate (e.g. of a salary) 下流 xià liú lower course of a river / low-class / mean and lowly / vulgar / obscene syn 冲击力 衝擊力 chōng jī lì force of impact or thrust 低谷 dī gǔ valley / trough (as opposed to peaks) / fig. low point / lowest ebb / nadir of one's fortunes syn 苦闷 苦悶 kǔ mèn depressed / dejected / feeling low syn 低胸 dī xiōng low-cut (dress) / plunging (neckline) 过低 過低 guò dī too low 深入人心 shēn rù rén xīn to enter deeply into people's hearts / to have a real impact on the people (idiom) 低垂 dī chuí to droop / to hang low syn 矮小 ǎi xiǎo short and small / low and small / undersized syn 谷底 gǔ dǐ valley floor / (fig.) lowest ebb / all-time low syn 马背 馬背 mǎ bèi horse's back / (traditional Chinese architecture) roof with a low-slung curved ridgelines and geometric shapes on the upper gable walls at the ends of the roof ridges 感染力 gǎn rǎn lì infectiousness (of a disease) / appeal / power / impact (of an image, marketing message, performance etc) 低频 低頻 dī pín low frequency 扫地 掃地 sǎo dì to sweep the floor / (fig.) (of one's reputation etc) to reach rock bottom / to be at an all-time low syn 音调 音調 yīn diào pitch of voice (high or low) / pitch (of a musical note) / tone syn 低档 低檔 dī dàng low-grade / of low worth or rank / poor quality / inferior syn 细语 細語 xì yǔ to chat with a low voice syn 低速 dī sù low speed 低收入 dī shōu rù low income syn 慢速 màn sù slow / low-speed 低潮 dī cháo low tide / low ebb 主力军 主力軍 zhǔ lì jūn main force (military) / (fig.) the group or element with the most impact / mainstay / main cohort 悄声 悄聲 qiǎo shēng quietly / in a low voice syn 低劣 dī liè inferior quality / substandard / low-grade syn 低矮 dī ǎi short / low 销声匿迹 銷聲匿跡 xiāo shēng nì jì to vanish without trace (idiom) / to lie low syn 花坛 花壇 huā tán decorative mass planting of flowers and shrubs, often bounded by a low masonry border, and often part of a streetscape syn 减灾 減災 jiǎn zāi to take measures to mitigate the impact of disasters (including prevention, preparation, and support for stricken communities) 贱卖 賤賣 jiàn mài to sell cheaply / sacrifice / low price / discount sale 贵贱 貴賤 guì jiàn noble and lowly / high versus low social hierarchy of ruler to people, father to son, husband to wife in Confucianism 缺血 quē xuè (of an organ) to have insufficient blood supply / (of a blood bank) to run low on blood supplies 低空 dī kōng low altitude 环评 環評 huán píng environmental impact assessment (EIA) / abbr. for 環境影響評估|环境影响评估 低层 低層 dī céng low level 避风 避風 bì fēng to take shelter from the wind / to lie low / to stay out of trouble 卑贱 卑賤 bēi jiàn lowly / mean and low syn 找遍 zhǎo biàn to search everywhere / to search high and low / to comb 洼地 窪地 wā dì low-lying ground / depression syn 低分 dī fēn low marks / low score 芝麻官 zhī ma guān low ranking official / petty bureaucrat syn 低洼 低窪 dī wā low-lying syn 平底 píng dǐ flat bottomed / low heeled syn 低血压 低血壓 dī xuè yā low blood pressure 偏锋 偏鋒 piān fēng (calligraphy) technique in which the shaft of the brush is held at a low angle, so that the tip of the brush runs along the edge of the stroke (cf. 正鋒|正锋[zheng4feng1] and 側鋒|侧锋[ce4feng1]) / (fig.) unorthodox or improper way of doing things 怅惘 悵惘 chàng wǎng distracted / listless / in low spirits syn 低阶 低階 dī jiē low level 隐伏 隱伏 yǐn fú to hide / to lie low syn 看扁 kàn biǎn to have a low opinion of 下拜 xià bài to bow down low / to make obeisance / to kneel and bow 低热 低熱 dī rè a low fever (up to 38°C) 低息 dī xī low-interest 淫贱 淫賤 yín jiàn morally loose, lewd and low, lascivious and mean / wanton 能上能下 néng shàng néng xià ready to take any job, high or low 低气压 低氣壓 dī qì yā low pressure / depression (meteorology) 枯水期 kū shuǐ qī period of low water level (winter in north China) 枯水 kū shuǐ scarce water / low water level 