切中肯綮

Chinese

		close to; to cut; to slice	middle; centre; within middle; centre; within; among; in; while (doing something); during; China; Chinese; hit (the mark)	place where muscle and bone link; key point; crux
trad. (切中肯綮)		切	中	肯綮
simp. #(切中肯綮)		切	中	肯綮

Etymology

From a fable in 《莊子·養生主》. See 庖丁解牛 (páodīngjiěniú).

The modern term, which literally means "to exactly cut where muscles and bones attach", is completely opposite to the original fable's theme.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qièzhòngkěnqìng

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄝˋ ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄎㄣˇ ㄑㄧㄥˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qièzhòngkěnqìng
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄝˋ ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄎㄣˇ ㄑㄧㄥˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cièjhòngkěncìng
    • Wade–Giles: chʻieh⁴-chung⁴-kʻên³-chʻing⁴
    • Yale: chyè-jùng-kěn-chìng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chiehjonqkeenchinq
    • Palladius: цечжункэньцин (cečžunkɛnʹcin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹ kʰən²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵¹/

Verb

切中肯綮

1. to be pertinent; to be to the point

Derived terms

• 中肯 (zhòngkěn)