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一語道破

简一语道破 · 繁一語道破

Mandarin · pinyin yī yǔ dào pò

one word says it all (idiom)
to hit the nail on the head
to be pithy and correct

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Characters in this entry

一: yī · one; a, an; alone
語: Look up this written character
道: dào · path, road, street; method, way
破: pò · break, ruin, destroy; rout
语: yǔ · language, words; saying, expression

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–3–4–4 · yi1 yu3 dao4 po4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

一語道破 · find source passages ↗ · 一语道破 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jat1 jyu5 dou6 po3

Cantonese word readings for 一語道破. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to lay bare the truth with one penetrating remark; to hit the nail on the head

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack