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 耍花招 shuǎ huā zhāo to play tricks on sb syn 戏弄 戲弄 xì nòng to play tricks on / to make fun of / to tease syn 光明正大 guāng míng zhèng dà (of a person) honorable / not devious / (of a behavior) fair and aboveboard / without tricks / openly / (of a situation) out in the open syn 两下子 兩下子 liǎng xià zi a couple of times / to repeat the same / the same old trick / tricks of the trade syn 套套 tào tao methods / the old tricks / (slang) condom syn 作弄 zuò nòng to tease / to play tricks on syn 变戏法 變戲法 biàn xì fǎ to perform conjuring tricks / to conjure / to juggle 使坏 使壞 shǐ huài to play dirty tricks / to be up to mischief syn 投机取巧 投機取巧 tóu jī qǔ qiǎo to gain advantage by any means, fair or foul / to be opportunistic / to be full of tricks syn 黑幕 hēi mù hidden details / dirty tricks / dark secrets syn 权术 權術 quán shù art of politics / political tricks (often derog.) / power play / to play at politics / underhand trickery syn 罗刹 羅剎 luó chà demon in Buddhism / poltergeist in temple that plays tricks on monks and has a taste for their food 套数 套數 tào shù song cycle in Chinese opera / (fig.) a series of tricks / polite remarks / number of (things that are counted in 套[tao4], like houses) syn 开涮 開涮 kāi shuàn (coll.) to make fun of (sb) / to play tricks on 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 变魔术 變魔術 biàn mó shù to perform magical tricks 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 坏水 壞水 huài shuǐ evil tricks 鸡鸣狗盗 雞鳴狗盜 jī míng gǒu dào crowing like a cock and stealing like a dog (idiom) / bag of tricks / useful talents 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 耍滑 shuǎ huá to resort to tricks / to act in a slippery way / to try to evade (work, responsibility) syn 唱红脸 唱紅臉 chàng hóng liǎn to play the role of the hero (idiom) / to play the good cop 诀 訣 jué to bid farewell / tricks of the trade / pithy mnemonic formula (e.g. Mao Zedong's 16-character mantra 十六字訣|十六字诀 on guerrilla warfare) syn 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 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 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 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 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 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 