threshold; standard; knack
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
3 senses · 6 examplesnoun
threshold (the wooden or stone strip at the base of a door)
neutralLiteral, physical threshold of a door. Often suffixed with '-儿' in speech.
Bié别
cǎi踩
zhe着
mén门
kǎn坎
r儿
。
Don't step on the threshold.
Lǎo老
fáng房
zi子
de的
shí石
tou头
mén门
kǎn坎
yǐ已
jīng经
bèi被
mó磨
de得
hěn很
guāng光
huá滑
le了
。
The stone threshold of the old house has been worn very smooth.
noun
standard; requirement; barrier to entry
neutralMetaphorical use. Often used to describe high standards that are difficult to meet. Can be suffixed with '-儿'.
Míng名
pái牌
dà大
xué学
de的
mén门
kǎn坎
r儿
tài太
gāo高
le了
。
The admission standards for prestigious universities are too high.
Xiǎng想
jiā加
rù入
zhè这
ge个
jù俱
lè乐
bù部
，
nǐ你
děi得
xiān先
kuà跨
guò过
huì会
yuán员
zī资
gé格
de的
mén门
kǎn坎
。
To join this club, you first have to meet the membership requirements.
noun
knack; trick (especially for gaining an advantage)
dialectDialectal usage. Refers to a clever method or the skill of finding advantages.
Nǐ你
bù不
dǒng懂
zhè这
lǐ里
miàn面
de的
mén门
kǎn坎
。
You don't understand the tricks of the trade.
Tā他
mén门
kǎn坎
jīng精
，
zuò做
mǎi买
mai卖
hěn很
shǎo少
chī吃
kuī亏
。
He's very shrewd and rarely loses out in business.