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切中要害

Mandarin · pinyin qiè zhòng yào hài

Meanings

  1. to hit the target and do real damage (idiom)
  2. fig. to hit where it hurts
  3. fig. to hit home
  4. an argument that hits the nail on the head
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Characters in this entry

切
qiè · cut, mince, slice, carve
中
zhōng · central; center, middle; in the midst of; hit (target); attain
要
yào · necessary, essential; necessity
害
hài · injure, harm; destroy, kill
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Entries containing 切中要害 ↗Words written with 切 ↗Words written with 中 ↗Words written with 要 ↗Words written with 害 ↗

Mandarin tones

4–4–4–4 · qie4 zhong4 yao4 hai4

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Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

cit3 zung3 jiu3 hoi6

Cantonese word readings for 切中要害. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

切中要害 · qie4 zhong4 yao4 hai4
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 13,694
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record切中要害 切中要害 [qie4 zhong4 yao4 hai4] /to hit the target and do real damage (idiom)/fig. to hit where it hurts/fig. to hit home/an argument that hits the nail on the head/