"to-and-fro tussle" Chinese-English Dictionary

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Chinese Pinyin Translation Actions
来回 來回 lái huí to make a round trip / return journey / back and forth / to and fro / repeatedly syn
角逐 jué zhú to tussle / to contend / to contest syn
往返 wǎng fǎn to go back and forth / to go to and fro / to do a round trip syn
拨弄 撥弄 bō nòng to move to and fro (with hand, foot, stick etc) / to fiddle with / to stir up syn
厮打 廝打 sī dǎ to come to blows / to tussle
拉锯 拉鋸 lā jù a two-man saw / fig. to-and-fro between two sides
角力 jué lì to wrestle / (fig.) to lock horns / to tussle / to wrangle / Taiwan pr. [jiao3li4]
前仰后合 前仰後合 qián yǎng hòu hé to sway to and fro / to rock back and forth syn
幽明 yōu míng the hidden and the visible / that which can be seen and that which cannot / darkness and light / night and day / wisdom and ignorance / evil and good / the living and the dead / men and ghosts
chuán to hurry / to go to and fro
沉浮 chén fú lit. sinking and floating / to bob up and down on water / ebb and flow / fig. rise and fall / ups and downs of fortune / vicissitudes syn
上下 shàng xià up and down / top and bottom / old and young / length / about / more or less syn
出入 chū rù to go out and come in / entrance and exit / expenditure and income / discrepancy / inconsistent syn
开诚布公 開誠布公 kāi chéng bù gōng lit. deal sincerely and fairly (idiom) / frank and open-minded / plain speaking / Let's talk frankly and openly between ourselves. / to put one's cards on the table syn
弱小 ruò xiǎo small and weak / puny / the small and weak / children / women and children syn
及其 jí qí (conjunction linking two nouns) and its ... / and their ... / and his ... / and her ... syn
母子 mǔ zǐ mother and child / parent and subsidiary (companies) / principal and interest
表里 表裡 biǎo lǐ the outside and the inside / one's outward show and inner thoughts / exterior and interior
得失 dé shī gains and losses / success and failure / merits and demerits syn
两性 兩性 liǎng xìng male and female / both types (acid and alkaline, positive and negative etc) / (chemistry) amphoteric
平易近人 píng yì jìn rén amiable and approachable (idiom) / easygoing / modest and unassuming / (of writing) plain and simple / easy to understand syn
纵横 縱橫 zòng héng lit. warp and weft in weaving / vertically and horizontal / length and breadth / criss-crossed / able to move unhindered / abbr. for 合縱連橫|合纵连横[He2 zong4 Lian2 heng2], School of Diplomacy during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) syn
起落 qǐ luò to rise and fall / takeoff and landing / ups and downs syn
利弊 lì bì pros and cons / merits and drawbacks / advantages and disadvantages syn
三军 三軍 sān jūn (in former times) upper, middle and lower army / army of right, center and left / (in modern times) the three armed services: Army, Navy and Air Force syn
天经地义 天經地義 tiān jīng dì yì lit. heaven's law and earth's principle (idiom) / fig. right and proper / right and unalterable / a matter of course syn
长短 長短 cháng duǎn length / accident / mishap / right and wrong / good and bad / merits and demerits syn
正反 zhèng fǎn positive and negative / pros and cons / inside and outside
行云流水 行雲流水 xíng yún liú shuǐ lit. moving clouds and flowing water (idiom) / fig. very natural and flowing style of calligraphy, writing, etc / natural and unforced syn
家破人亡 jiā pò rén wáng family bankrupt and the people dead (idiom) / ruined and orphaned / destitute and homeless syn
日月 rì yuè the sun and moon / day and month / every day and every month / season / life and livelihood syn
理直气壮 理直氣壯 lǐ zhí qì zhuàng in the right and self-confident (idiom) / bold and confident with justice on one's side / to have the courage of one's convictions / just and forceful syn
水陆 水陸 shuǐ lù water and land / by water and land (transport) / amphibian / delicacies from land and sea syn
瞻前顾后 瞻前顧後 zhān qián gù hòu lit. to look forward and back (idiom) / fig. to consider carefully / to weigh the pros and cons / fig. to be overcautious and indecisive syn
清朗 qīng lǎng clear and bright / unclouded / clear and sonorous (voice) / clear and lively (narrative) syn
惶惑 huáng huò anxious and perplexed / uneasy and confused / suspicious and fearful syn
万水千山 萬水千山 wàn shuǐ qiān shān ten thousand crags and torrents (idiom) / the trials and tribulations of a long journey / a long and difficult road syn
云云 yún yún and so on / so and so / many and confused 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
曲直 qū zhí lit. crooked and straight / fig. right and wrong, good and evil syn
有无 有無 yǒu wú to have or have not / surplus and shortfall / tangible and intangible / corporeal and incorporeal
孙子 孫子 sūn zǐ Sun Tzu, also known as Sun Wu 孫武|孙武[Sun1 Wu3] (c. 500 BC, dates of birth and death uncertain), general, strategist and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period (700-475 BC), believed to be the author of the “Art of War” 孫子兵法|孙子兵法[Sun1 zi3 Bing1 fa3], one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1] syn
利害 lì hài pros and cons / advantages and disadvantages / gains and losses syn
核定 hé dìng to audit and determine / to check and ratify / to appraise and decide / determination / on a deemed basis (taxation) / to deem syn
荣辱观 榮辱觀 róng rǔ guān precepts regarding what is honorable and what is shameful (in particular, refers to the Socialist Concepts on Honors and Disgraces, PRC official moral principles promulgated from 2006) / abbr. for 社會主義榮辱觀|社会主义荣辱观 / also known as the Eight Honors and Eight Shames 八榮八恥|八荣八耻[Ba1 Rong2 Ba1 Chi3]
大中华 大中華 dà zhōng huá Greater China / refers to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau (esp. in finance and economics) / refers to all areas of Chinese presence (esp. in the cultural field), including parts of Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas
关羽 關羽 guān yǔ Guan Yu (-219), general of Shu and blood-brother of Liu Bei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, fearsome fighter famous for virtue and loyalty / posthumously worshipped and identified with the guardian Bodhisattva Sangharama
特别行政区 特別行政區 tè bié xíng zhèng qū special administrative region (SAR), of which there are two in the PRC: Hong Kong 香港 and Macau 澳門|澳门 / refers to many different areas during late Qing, foreign occupation, warlord period and Nationalist government / refers to special zones in North Korea and Indonesia
广电总局 廣電總局 guǎng diàn zǒng jú National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) (abbr. for 國家廣播電視總局|国家广播电视总局[Guo2 jia1 Guang3 bo1 Dian4 shi4 Zong3 ju2]) / formerly SAPPRFT, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (2013-2018) and SARFT, the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (prior to 2013)
天龙八部 天龍八部 tiān lóng bā bù Demigods and Semidevils, wuxia novel by Jin Yong 金庸[Jin1 Yong1] and its TV and screen adaptations
苏轼 蘇軾 sū shì Su Shi (1037-1101), aka Su Dongpo 蘇東坡|苏东坡[Su1 Dong1 po1], Song dynasty writer, calligrapher and public official, one of the Three Su's 三蘇|三苏[San1 Su1] and one of the Eight Giants of Tang and Song Prose 唐宋八大家[Tang2 Song4 Ba1 Da4 jia1]
燕赵 燕趙 yān zhào Yan and Zhao, two of the Warring States in Hebei and Shanxi / beautiful women / women dancers and singers
境内外 境內外 jìng nèi wài within and without the borders / domestic and foreign / home and abroad
王明 wáng míng Wang Ming (1904-1974), Soviet-trained Chinese communist, Comintern and Soviet stooge and left adventurist in the 1930s, fell out with Mao and moved to Soviet Union from 1956
诸子 諸子 zhū zǐ various sages / refers to the classical schools of thought, e.g. Confucianism 儒[ru2] represented by Confucius 孔子[Kong3 zi3] and Mencius 孟子[Meng4 zi3], Daoism 道[dao4] by Laozi 老子[Lao3 zi3] and Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3], Mohism 墨[mo4] by Mozi 墨子[Mo4 zi3], Legalism 法[fa3] by Sunzi 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3] and Han Feizi 韓非子|韩非子[Han2 Fei1 zi3], and numerous others
国耻 國恥 guó chǐ national humiliation, refers to Japanese incursions into China in the 1930s and 40s, and more especially to Mukden railway incident of 18th September 1931 九一八事變|九一八事变 and subsequent Japanese annexation of Manchuria
孙武 孫武 sūn wǔ Sun Wu, also known as Sun Tzu 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3] (c. 500 BC, dates of birth and death uncertain), general, strategist and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period (700-475 BC), believed to be the author of the “Art of War” 孫子兵法|孙子兵法[Sun1 zi3 Bing1 fa3], one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1]
貔貅 pí xiū mythical animal that brings luck and wards off evil, having head of a dragon and lion's body, often with hoofs, wings and tail / also written 辟邪 / fig. valiant soldier syn
不平等条约 不平等條約 bù píng děng tiáo yuē (term coined c. 1920s) unequal treaty – a treaty between China and one or more aggressor nations (including Russia, Japan and various Western powers) which imposed humiliating conditions on China (in the 19th and early 20th centuries)
盘根错节 盤根錯節 pán gēn cuò jié twisted roots and intertwined joints (idiom) / complicated and very tricky / knotty and deeply-rooted difficulties syn
开源节流 開源節流 kāi yuán jié liú lit. to open a water source and reduce outflow (idiom) / to increase income and save on spending / to broaden the sources of income and economize on expenditure syn
龙腾虎跃 龍騰虎躍 lóng téng hǔ yuè lit. dragon soaring and tiger leaping (idiom) / fig. prosperous and bustling / vigorous and active syn
五岭 五嶺 wǔ lǐng the five ranges separating Hunan and Jiangxi from south China, esp. Guangdong and Guangxi, namely: Dayu 大庾嶺|大庾岭[Da4 yu3 ling3], Dupang 都龐嶺|都庞岭[Du1 pang2 ling3], Qitian 騎田嶺|骑田岭[Qi2 tian2 ling3], Mengzhu 萌渚嶺|萌渚岭[Meng2 zhu3 ling3] and Yuecheng 越城嶺|越城岭[Yue4 cheng2 ling3]
芜杂 蕪雜 wú zá miscellaneous / mixed and disorderly (of writing) / disordered and confusing / mixed-up and illogical syn
de of / ~'s (possessive particle) / (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun) / (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis) / (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的[pi2ge2 de5] "one made of leather" or 跑堂兒的|跑堂儿的[pao3tang2r5de5] "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的[xin1 de5] "new one") / also pr. [di4] or [di5] in poetry and songs syn
really and truly syn
you (Note: In Taiwan, 妳 is used to address females, but in mainland China, it is not commonly used. Instead, 你 is used to address both males and females.) syn
(third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he / him / his / (bound form) other / another / some other (as in 他日[ta1ri4] and 他人[ta1ren2]) syn
zuò to make / to produce / to write / to compose / to do / to engage in / to hold (a party etc) / (of a person) to be (an intermediary, a good student etc) / to become (husband and wife, friends etc) / (of a thing) to serve as / to be used for / to assume (an air or manner) syn
ne particle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word ("What about ...?", "And ...?") / particle for inquiring about location ("Where is ...?") / particle signaling a pause, to emphasize the preceding words and allow the listener time to take them on board ("ok?", "are you with me?") / (at the end of a declarative sentence) particle indicating continuation of a state or action / particle indicating strong affirmation syn
dense wool fabric (used for coats and jackets) syn
zhī classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc syn
li, ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m / neighborhood / ancient administrative unit of 25 families / (Tw) borough, administrative unit between the township 鎮|镇[zhen4] and neighborhood 鄰|邻[lin2] levels syn
gēn heel / to follow closely / to go with / (of a woman) to marry sb / with / compared with / to / towards / and (joining two nouns) syn
zài again / once more / re- / further / beyond this point of time / (before an adjective) more / then (after sth, and not until then) / no matter how ... (followed by an adjective or verb, and then (usually) 也[ye3] or 都[dou1] for emphasis) / (used to introduce additional information, as in 再則|再则[zai4ze2], 再就是[zai4jiu4shi4] etc) / (literary) to reappear / to reoccur syn
men plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals syn
ér and / as well as / and so / but (not) / yet (not) / (indicates causal relation) / (indicates change of state) / (indicates contrast) syn
起来 起來 qi lai (after a verb) indicating the beginning and continuation of an action or a state / indicating an upward movement (e.g. after 站[zhan4]) / indicating completion / (after a perception verb, e.g. 看[kan4]) expressing preliminary judgment / also pr. [qi3lai5] syn
yòu (once) again / also / both... and... / and yet / (used for emphasis) anyway syn
děng to wait for / to await / by the time / when / till / and so on / etc. / et al. / (bound form) class / rank / grade / (bound form) equal to / same as / (used to end an enumeration) / (literary) (plural suffix attached to a personal pronoun or noun) syn
to compare / (followed by a noun and adjective) more {adj.} than {noun} / ratio / to gesture / (Taiwan pr. [bi4] in some compounds derived from Classical Chinese) syn
等等 děng děng et cetera / and so on ... / wait a minute! / hold on! syn
and / to give / together with syn
下来 下來 xià lai to come down / (completed action marker) / (after verb of motion, indicates motion down and towards us, also fig.) / (indicates continuation from the past towards us) / to be harvested (of crops) / to be over (of a period of time) / to go among the masses (said of leaders) syn
到底 dào dǐ finally / in the end / when all is said and done / after all / to the end / to the last syn
kuài lump (of earth) / chunk / piece / classifier for pieces of cloth, cake, soap etc / (coll.) classifier for money and currency units / lump syn
听说 聽說 tīng shuō to hear (sth said) / one hears (that) / hearsay / listening and speaking syn
shuǐ water / (after a name) ... River / to swim (used mostly in 會水|会水[hui4shui3] and 水性[shui3xing4]) / (coll.) lacking in substance / shoddy / (bound form) additional cost / extra income / classifier for washings of a garment syn
咱们 咱們 zán men we or us (including both the speaker and the person(s) spoken to) / (dialect) I or me / (dialect) (in a coaxing or familiar way) you / also pr. [za2 men5] syn
yóu to follow / from / because of / due to / by / via / through / (before a noun and a verb) it is for ... to ... syn
fēn to divide / to separate / to distribute / to allocate / to distinguish (good and bad) / (bound form) branch of (an organization) / sub- (as in 分局[fen1 ju2]) / fraction / one tenth (of certain units) / unit of length equivalent to 0.33 cm / minute (unit of time) / minute (angular measurement unit) / a point (in sports or games) / 0.01 yuan (unit of money) syn
bàn half / semi- / incomplete / (after a number) and a half syn
jiā to add / plus / (used after an adverb such as 不, 大, 稍 etc, and before a disyllabic verb, to indicate that the action of the verb is applied to sth or sb previously mentioned) / to apply (restrictions etc) to (sb) / to give (support, consideration etc) to (sth) syn
父母 fù mǔ father and mother / parents syn
shēn body / life / oneself / personally / one's morality and conduct / the main part of a structure or body / pregnant / classifier for sets of clothes: suit, twinset / Kangxi radical 158 syn
聪明 聰明 cōng ming intelligent / clever / bright / acute (of sight and hearing) syn
并且 並且 bìng qiě and / besides / moreover / furthermore / in addition syn
以及 yǐ jí and / as well as syn
zhī to support / to sustain / to erect / to raise / branch / division / to draw money / classifier for rods such as pens and guns, for army divisions and for songs or compositions syn
làn soft / mushy / well-cooked and soft / to rot / to decompose / rotten / worn out / chaotic / messy / utterly / thoroughly / crappy / bad syn
The four tones The four tones of Mandarin Pitch over time: tone 1 high and level (red), tone 2 rising (orange), tone 3 falling then rising (green), tone 4 falling (blue). tone 1 tone 2 tone 3 tone 4 Time Pitch

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