顿挫

Traditional form:

頓挫

Pinyin (reading):

dùncuò

Definitions:

• a transition (stop and change) in spoken sound, music or in brush strokes
• a cadence
• punctuated by a transition
• with syncopated cadence (brush stroke in painting)

Characters:

• 顿 - to pause; to bow; to arrange
• 挫 - to check, to obstruct, to push down

Traditional characters:

• 頓 - to pause; to bow; to arrange
• 挫 - to check, to obstruct, to push down