DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
快刀斬亂麻
简 快刀斩乱麻 · 繁 快刀斬亂麻Mandarin · pinyin kuài dāo zhǎn luàn má
Meanings
- lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp (idiom); decisive action in a complex situation
- cutting the Gordian knot
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Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.
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Mandarin tones
4–1–3–4–2 · kuai4 dao1 zhan3 luan4 ma2
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
faai3 dou1 zaam2 lyun6 maa4
Cantonese word readings for 快刀斬亂麻. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
faai3 dou1 zaam2 lyun6 maa4
Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (figurative) to cut the Gordian knot; to solve a complex problem using a decisive and effective method
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack