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直搗黃龍

简直捣黄龙 · 繁直搗黃龍

Mandarin · pinyin zhí dǎo Huáng Lóng

lit. to directly attack Huanglong
fig. to directly combat the root of a problem

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Characters in this entry

直: zhí · straight, erect, vertical
搗: Look up this written character
黃: huáng · yellow; surname; Kangxi radical 201
龍: Look up this written character
捣: dǎo · hull; thresh; beat, attack
黄: huáng · yellow; surname
龙: lóng · dragon; symbolic of emperor

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

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Mandarin tones

2–3–2–2 · zhi2 dao3 Huang2 Long2

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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.

直搗黃龍 · find source passages ↗ · 直捣黄龙 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zik6 dou2 wong4 lung4

Cantonese word readings for 直搗黃龍. 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 attack the enemy's headquarters or lair directly; to aim at and to achieve the final goal directly

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

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