stage; step; level; rank; order; stairs
necessary; needed; essential; necessity; need; requirement
to remove obstacles in the way of one's objective; to take an indirect approach; (lit.) to fill in the outer moat
once; for a short time; briefly; (arch.) one morning
to divide; to separate; to partition; to punctuate; to mark off (with a comma); to insert pauses (between words or phrases when reading aloud)
from here; from this place
reserve; constraint; declining; refraining; forethought; foresight
to blink (one's eyes) repeatedly
to ask a question; to ask questions
eager; earnest; ardent; OFF (on switch)
to decide (e.g. an outcome); to dictate; to determine
to determine (esp. a culprit or underlying cause); to pin down; to ascertain; (arch.) to stab to death
mental; psychological; physical
settlement; solution; resolution
firm; determined; resolute; conclusive
to declare; to assert; to state definitively; to finish saying; to say everything; to tell all
bitterness; distress; pain; bitterness and astringency
to gouge; to hollow out; to greatly perturb; to cause emotional pain; to get to the bottom of things; to relentlessly bring the truth to light
tender; kind; gentle; graceful; affectionate; amiable
as a child; when one was a child
to desire; to wish; to beg; to request; to have something done for oneself
serious; grave; dignified; solemn
decision; determination; resolution
closely (packed, lined up, etc.); tightly; densely; (work) sufficiently
appropriate; suitable; proper; fitting
to feel depressed; to be down
father; dad; husband; you (of an elderly person older than the speaker); he
drunkard; heavy drinker; boozer
(physically) abusive husband; wife beater
other people's affairs; someone else's problem
abbreviation; omission; outline; gist; plan; strategy
to raise (a sword, fist, etc.); to lift; to throw up; to fling up; to swing up
to swing downward; to bring down (one's sword, fist, etc.)
drumming (noise); beating; rapidly; quickly; continuously; one after the other
to grow up; to become an adult; to become big; to grow in size
prognostic symptoms; after-effect; sequela
prison; jail; gaol; penitentiary
the way there; outbound leg; bound for ...; outbound ticket
in advance; beforehand; previously; ahead of time
being lost for words; becoming speechless; jueju (Chinese quatrain with lines of either five or seven syllables)
to clasp; to grasp; to hold (the answer); to have (e.g. the solution); to seize (power); to hold (the reins)
acting as a foster parent; caring for another's child; foster parent