- 抑扬顿挫 yìyángdùncuò cadenceThe rise and fall of the voice or a melody; describes sounds that are rhythmic and full of variation with clear pauses and transitions.
- 沉郁顿挫 chényùdùncuò profound and forcefulDescribing a literary or artistic style that is deep and heavy in emotion while remaining rhythmic and full of variation; often used to describe the poetry of [[杜甫|杜甫|du4 fu3]]
- 顿挫抑扬 dùncuòyìyáng cadencerising and falling of rhythm or tone in music, speech, or literary works, creating a harmonious and rhythmic effect