小动作 (xiǎo dòng zuō) — fidgety movements (made from restlessness or lack of focus); petty trick / underhanded maneuver (to gain personal advantage); (in sports) gamesmanship / minor foul done discreetly
Definition
A noun that covers two senses: literal 'fidgety movements' (a child squirming in class) and figurative 'petty trick / underhanded move' done discreetly to gain advantage, often in politics or sports.
noun
fidgety movements (made from restlessness or lack of focus)petty trick / underhanded maneuver (to gain personal advantage)(in sports) gamesmanship / minor foul done discreetly
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 小动作,。Zhè hái zi shàng kè zǒng zuò xiǎo dòng zuō, bú shì wán bǐ jiù shì sī zhǐ.This kid is always fidgeting in class, either playing with a pen or tearing paper.
- 小动作,。Tā zài jìng xuǎn lǐ gǎo le bù shǎo xiǎo dòng zuō, tōu tōu mǒ hēi le duì shǒu.He made quite a few sneaky moves in the campaign, quietly smearing his opponent.
- 小动作,。Nà ge qiú yuán zài fáng shǒu shí zuò le gè xiǎo dòng zuō, cái pàn méi kàn dào.That player pulled a sneaky move on defense and the ref didn't see it.
Appears in
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