倒吸一口凉气

1. • to gasp (with amazement or shock etc)
2. • to feel a chill run down one's spine
3. • to have one's hairs stand on end

Character by character

• 倒(dào)invert
• 吸(xī)breathe
• 一(yī)one
• 口(kǒu)mouth
• 凉(liáng)the five Liang of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely: Former Liang 前凉 (314-376), Later Liang 后凉 (386-403), Northern Liang 北凉 (398-439), Southern Liang 南凉 nánliáng (397-414), Western Liang 西凉
• 气(qì)gas