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 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 配乐 配樂 pèi yuè to create music for a movie or stage production / to dub music onto a soundtrack / incidental music / soundtrack music 插曲 chā qǔ music played during a movie, play etc / incidental music / music played in a theatrical interlude / (fig.) incident / episode 奏乐 奏樂 zòu yuè to perform music / to play a tune syn 乐坛 樂壇 yuè tán music circles / music world 歌坛 歌壇 gē tán singing stage / music business (esp. pop music) 权术 權術 quán shù art of politics / political tricks (often derog.) / power play / to play at politics / underhand trickery syn 乡村音乐 鄉村音樂 xiāng cūn yīn yuè country music (country & western music genre) 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 国乐 國樂 guó yuè national music / Chinese traditional music 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 谱 譜 pǔ chart / list / table / register / score (music) / spectrum (physics) / to set to music syn 唱红脸 唱紅臉 chàng hóng liǎn to play the role of the hero (idiom) / to play the good cop 胡乐 胡樂 hú yuè Hu music / central Asian music (e.g. as appreciated by Tang literati) 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 音乐 音樂 yīn yuè music / CL:張|张[zhang1],曲[qu3],段[duan4] 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 速度 sù dù speed / rate / velocity / (music) tempo / CL:個|个[ge4] syn 摇滚 搖滾 yáo gǔn rock 'n' roll (music) / to rock / to fall off 打击 打擊 dǎ jī to hit / to strike / to attack / to crack down on sth / blow / (psychological) shock / percussion (music) syn 扮演 bàn yǎn to play the role of / to act syn 唱片 chàng piàn gramophone record / LP / music CD / musical album / CL:張|张[zhang1] 专辑 專輯 zhuān jí album / record (music) / special collection of printed or broadcast material syn 玩儿 玩兒 wán r to play / to have fun / to hang out syn 大众 大眾 dà zhòng the masses / the great bulk of the population / popular (of music, science etc) 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 布鲁斯 布魯斯 bù lǔ sī blues (music) (loanword) 品味 pǐn wèi to sample / to taste / to appreciate / one's taste (i.e. in music, literature, fashion, food and drink etc) / good taste 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 咪咪 mī mī oboe-like musical instrument used in folk music of Gansu, Qinghai etc / (onom.) meow / kitty kitty! / Mimi (Western name) / tits (i.e. slang for breasts) syn 说唱 說唱 shuō chàng speaking and singing, as in various forms of storytelling such as 彈詞|弹词[tan2 ci2] and 相聲|相声[xiang4 sheng5] / (music) rapping 摇滚乐 搖滾樂 yáo gǔn yuè rock music / rock 'n roll 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 曲目 qǔ mù repertoire / program / song / piece of music 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 音符 yīn fú (music) note / phonetic component of a Chinese character / phonetic symbol / phonogram 舞曲 wǔ qǔ dance music 充当 充當 chōng dāng to serve as / to act as / to play the role of syn 力度 lì dù strength / vigor / efforts / (music) dynamics 搞鬼 gǎo guǐ to make mischief / to play tricks syn 回音 huí yīn echo / reply / turn (ornament in music) 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 作曲 zuò qǔ to compose (music) syn 节拍 節拍 jié pāi beat (music) / meter 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 同音 tóng yīn (music) unison / (linguistics) homophonous / homonymic 饶舌 饒舌 ráo shé talkative / to blather / to shoot one's mouth off / rap (genre of music) 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 拍子 pāi zi beat (music) / paddle-shaped object (flyswatter etc) / racket (sports) 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 乐谱 樂譜 yuè pǔ a musical score / sheet music 儿戏 兒戲 ér xì child's play / trifling matter 声乐 聲樂 shēng yuè vocal music 音乐节 音樂節 yīn yuè jié music festival 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 