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突破口

Mandarin · pinyin tū pò kǒu

breach
gap
breakthrough point

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Characters in this entry

突: tū · suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly
破: pò · break, ruin, destroy; rout
口: kǒu · mouth; open end; entrance, gate

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

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Mandarin tones

1–4–3 · tu1 po4 kou3

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

noun

(military) breach (in the enemy's defence); breakthrough; sally port
(figurative) something that opens the way for solving an issue or completing a task; breakthrough

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

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