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抑扬顿挫 (yì yáng dùn cuò) — rhythmic and varied in tone; cadenced; with well-modulated pitch and pace

Definition

A four-character set phrase describing speech, reading, or writing whose pitch, pace, and pauses rise and fall pleasingly. Used for cadenced, expressive delivery.

phrase
rhythmic and varied in tonecadencedwith well-modulated pitch and pace

Examples

  • 抑扬顿挫，。
    Tā lǎng dú gǔ shī shí shēng yīn yì yáng dùn cuò, fēi cháng dòng tīng.
    When he recited ancient poems, his voice was rhythmic and very pleasant to hear.
  • 抑扬顿挫，。
    Zhè piān sǎn wén xiě dé yì yáng dùn cuò, dú qǐ lái hěn yǒu yùn wèi.
    This prose is written with varied rhythm, making it very charming to read.
  • 抑扬顿挫，。
    Yǎn jiǎng shí yào zhù yì yǔ qì yì yáng dùn cuò, cái néng xī yǐn tīng zhòng.
    When giving a speech, you need to pay attention to the cadence of your tone in order to attract the audience.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

抑扬lowering and rising
抑yìlower扬yángraise
联合Coordinate
顿挫pausing and turning
顿dùnpause挫cuòturn
联合Coordinate

「抑扬」and「顿挫」are paired: lowering and rising with pausing and turning give a voice its varied rhythm.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

抑 shows a hand pressing down on a kneeling person, giving the sense of press or restrain.

Open 抑 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 揚; 扬 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng揚
Same sound today

The traditional form 揚 uses 手 to show a hand-related action and 昜 to give the sound; the simplified 扬 is a later abbreviation.

Open 扬 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頓; 顿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
屯
屯tún頓dùn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頓 combines 屯, drawn as a kneeling person's head, with 頁, and expresses a bow or kowtow. The simplified 顿 replaces 頁 with 页.

Open 顿 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
坐
坐zuò挫cuò
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

挫 is written with 扌, a hand shape, beside 坐, which gives its sound.

Open 挫 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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