打球 dǎ qiú to play ball / to play with a ball 戏剧 戲劇 xì jù a drama / a play / theater / script of a play syn 玩牌 wán pái to play cards / to play mahjong 噱头 噱頭 xué tóu amusing speech or act / jokes / antics / funny / amusing / Taiwan pr. [xue1 tou2] syn 权术 權術 quán shù art of politics / political tricks (often derog.) / power play / to play at politics / underhand trickery syn 做戏 做戲 zuò xì to act in a play / to put on a play 反串 fǎn chuàn (Chinese opera) to play a role outside of one's specialty / (modern) to play a transvestite role / to masquerade as an opponent 打扑克 打撲克 dǎ pū kè to play cards / to play poker 耳鬓厮磨 耳鬢廝磨 ěr bìn sī mó lit. to play together ear to ear and temple to temple (idiom) / fig. (of a boy and a girl) to play together often during childhood syn 装 裝 zhuāng adornment / to adorn / dress / clothing / costume (of an actor in a play) / to play a role / to pretend / to install / to fix / to wrap (sth in a bag) / to load / to pack syn 演 yǎn to perform (a play etc) / to stage (a show) / (bound form) to develop / to play out / to carry out (a task) syn 唱红脸 唱紅臉 chàng hóng liǎn to play the role of the hero (idiom) / to play the good cop 玩火自焚 wán huǒ zì fén to play with fire and get burnt (idiom) / fig. to play with evil and suffer the consequences / to get one's fingers burnt syn 闹着玩儿 鬧著玩兒 nào zhe wán r to play games / to joke around / to play a joke on sb syn 去 qù to go / to go to (a place) / (of a time etc) last / just passed / to send / to remove / to get rid of / to reduce / to be apart from in space or time / to die (euphemism) / to play (a part) / (when used either before or after a verb) to go in order to do sth / (after a verb of motion indicates movement away from the speaker) / (used after certain verbs to indicate detachment or separation) syn 打 dǎ to beat / to strike / to hit / to break / to type / to mix up / to build / to fight / to fetch / to make / to tie up / to issue / to shoot / to calculate / to play (a game) / since / from syn 拉 lā to pull / to play (a bowed instrument) / to drag / to draw / to chat / (coll.) to empty one's bowels syn 表演 biǎo yǎn play / show / performance / exhibition / to perform / to act / to demonstrate / CL:場|场[chang3] syn 游戏 游戲 yóu xì game / CL:場|场[chang3] / to play syn 演出 yǎn chū to act (in a play) / to perform / to put on (a performance) / performance / concert / show / CL:場|场[chang3],次[ci4] syn 开玩笑 開玩笑 kāi wán xiào to play a joke / to make fun of / to joke syn 角色 jué sè role / part (in a play or movie etc) / also pr. [jiao3se4] 人物 rén wù person / personage / figure (esp. sb of importance) / character (in a play, novel etc) / (genre of traditional Chinese painting) figure painting syn 扮演 bàn yǎn to play the role of / to act syn 玩儿 玩兒 wán r to play / to have fun / to hang out syn 演戏 演戲 yǎn xì to put on a play / to perform / fig. to pretend / to feign 恶作剧 惡作劇 è zuò jù practical joke / prank / to play a practical joke syn 上演 shàng yǎn to screen (a movie) / to stage (a play) / a screening / a staging syn 演绎 演繹 yǎn yì (of a story etc) to unfold / to play out / to develop (a technique etc) / to enact / (logic) to deduce / to infer syn 玩弄 wán nòng to play with / to toy with / to dally with / to engage in / to resort to syn 编剧 編劇 biān jù to write a play / scenario / dramatist / screenwriter syn 折腾 折騰 zhē teng to toss from side to side (e.g. sleeplessly) / to repeat sth over and over again / to torment sb / to play crazy / to squander (time, money) syn 玩耍 wán shuǎ to play (as children do) / to amuse oneself syn 打牌 dǎ pái to play mahjong or cards 照办 照辦 zhào bàn to follow the rules / to do as instructed / to play by the book / to comply with a request 弹琴 彈琴 tán qín to play or strum a lute or other stringed instrument 调动 調動 diào dòng to transfer / to maneuver (troops etc) / movement of personnel / to mobilize / to bring into play syn 双关 雙關 shuāng guān pun / play on words 弹奏 彈奏 tán zòu to play (musical instrument, esp. string) syn 耍花招 shuǎ huā zhāo to play tricks on sb syn 玩乐 玩樂 wán lè to play around / to disport oneself syn 一席之地 yī xí zhī dì (acknowledged) place / a role to play / niche 江湖 jiāng hú rivers and lakes / all corners of the country / remote areas to which hermits retreat / section of society operating independently of mainstream society, out of reach of the law / the milieu in which wuxia tales play out (cf. 武俠|武侠[wu3xia2]) / (in late imperial times) world of traveling merchants, itinerant doctors, fortune tellers etc / demimonde / (in modern times) triads / secret gangster societies / underworld syn 贬低 貶低 biǎn dī to belittle / to disparage / to play down / to demean / to degrade / to devalue syn 饰演 飾演 shì yǎn to act / to play a part syn 戏弄 戲弄 xì nòng to play tricks on / to make fun of / to tease syn 下棋 xià qí to play chess syn 充当 充當 chōng dāng to serve as / to act as / to play the role of syn 插曲 chā qǔ music played during a movie, play etc / incidental music / music played in a theatrical interlude / (fig.) incident / episode 搞鬼 gǎo guǐ to make mischief / to play tricks syn 玩火 wán huǒ to play with fire syn 开场白 開場白 kāi chǎng bái prologue of play / opening remarks / preamble (of speeches, articles etc) syn 说明书 說明書 shuō míng shū (technical) manual / (book of) directions / synopsis (of a play or film) / specification (patent) / CL:本[ben3] syn 悬念 懸念 xuán niàn suspense in a movie, play etc / concern for sb's welfare syn 撮合 cuō he to play matchmaker / to act as a middleman syn 话剧 話劇 huà jù stage play / modern drama / CL:臺|台[tai2],部[bu4] syn 小儿科 小兒科 xiǎo ér kē pediatrics / pediatric (department) / sth of little importance / trifle / a child's play / (slang) childish / petty / stingy syn 逃学 逃學 táo xué to play truant / to cut classes syn 装蒜 裝蒜 zhuāng suàn to act stupid / to play dumb / to pretend to not know syn 双关语 雙關語 shuāng guān yǔ pun / play on words / a phrase with a double meaning 儿戏 兒戲 ér xì child's play / trifling matter 剧目 劇目 jù mù theatrical piece (play or opera) / repertoire / list of plays or operas syn 过家家 過家家 guò jiā jiā to play house 本分 běn fèn (to play) one's part / one's role / one's duty / (to stay within) one's bounds / dutiful / keeping to one's role syn 打鼓 dǎ gǔ to beat a drum / to play a drum / (fig.) to feel nervous syn 弹球 彈球 tán qiú to play marbles 打法 dǎ fǎ to play (a card) / to make a move in a game 作弄 zuò nòng to tease / to play tricks on syn 开演 開演 kāi yǎn (of a play, movie etc) to begin syn 举足轻重 舉足輕重 jǔ zú qīng zhòng to play a critical role (idiom) / influential syn 对白 對白 duì bái dialogue (in a movie or a play) 助攻 zhù gōng (military) to mount a secondary attack / (fig.) to assist in tackling a problem / (sports) to participate in a play in which a teammate scores (i.e. perform an assist) 假死 jiǎ sǐ suspended animation / feigned death / to play dead syn 捣鬼 搗鬼 dǎo guǐ to play tricks / to cause mischief syn 使坏 使壞 shǐ huài to play dirty tricks / to be up to mischief syn 跑龙套 跑龍套 pǎo lóng tào to play a small role syn 奏乐 奏樂 zòu yuè to perform music / to play a tune syn 旷课 曠課 kuàng kè to play truant / to cut classes syn 潜台词 潛臺詞 qián tái cí unspoken dialogue in a play, left for the audience to infer / subtext / (fig.) implicit assertion 执导 執導 zhí dǎo to direct (a film, play etc) 编导 編導 biān dǎo to write and direct (a play, film etc) / playwright-director / choreographer-director / scenarist-director 耍弄 shuǎ nòng to play with / to engage in / to resort to / to dally with syn 吹奏 chuī zòu to play (wind instruments) syn 装疯卖傻 裝瘋賣傻 zhuāng fēng mài shǎ to play the fool (idiom) / to feign madness syn 淡化 dàn huà to water down / to play down / to trivialize / to weaken / to become dull with time / to desalinate / desalination syn 做鬼 zuò guǐ to play tricks / to cheat / to get up to mischief / to become a ghost / to give up the ghost syn 戏耍 戲耍 xì shuǎ to amuse oneself / to play with / to tease syn 装聋作哑 裝聾作啞 zhuāng lóng zuò yǎ to play deaf-mute 挑大梁 tiǎo dà liáng to play a leading role / to bear a heavy responsibility syn 场次 場次 chǎng cì the number of showings of a movie, play etc / screening / performance 对弈 對弈 duì yì to play go, chess etc syn 逗弄 dòu nòng to tease / to provoke / to play with (a child, animal etc) syn 扬长避短 揚長避短 yáng cháng bì duǎn to foster strengths and avoid weaknesses (idiom) / to play to one's strengths syn 演义 演義 yǎn yì to dramatize historical events / novel or play on historical theme 加赛 加賽 jiā sài (sports) to have an additional tie-breaking match or period of play / to have a playoff 毽子 jiàn zi a kind of shuttlecock used to play games in which it is kept in the air without using the hands, primarily by kicking / game played with such a shuttlecock 录放 錄放 lù fàng to record and play (audio, video) 皮影戏 皮影戲 pí yǐng xì shadow play syn 主演 zhǔ yǎn to play the leading role / to star / lead actor 