切中要害 qiē zhōng yào hài hit the nail on the head

Explanation

指批评或见解恰到好处，说到了问题的关键之处。

To accurately point out the key point or crucial issue of a matter; to hit the nail on the head.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，一位名叫李白的诗人，以其才华横溢而闻名于世。一日，他应邀参加一位权贵的宴会。席间，权贵们觥筹交错，谈笑风生，但多是些阿谀奉承之词。李白心生不快，便借酒兴赋诗一首。这首诗并非歌功颂德，而是直言不讳地批评了当时社会存在的种种黑暗现象。诗中句句切中要害，字字珠玑，令在座的权贵们哑口无言。事后，权贵们虽有不悦，却不得不承认李白的诗句的确切中要害，反映了社会现实。从此，“切中要害”便流传开来，用来形容批评或见解恰到好处，说到了问题的关键之处。

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, yī wèi míng jiào lǐ bái de shī rén, yǐ qí cái huá héng yí ér wén míng yú shì. yī rì, tā yìng yāo cān jiā yī wèi quán guì de yàn huì. xí jiān, quán guì men gōng chóu jiāo cuò, tán xiào fēng shēng, dàn duō shì xiē ā yú fèng chéng zhī cí. lǐ bái xīn shēng bù kuài, biàn jiè jiǔ xīng fù shī yī shǒu. zhè shǒu shī bìng fēi gē gōng sòng dé, ér shì zhí yán bù huì de pī píng le dāng shí shè huì cún zài de zhǒng zhǒng hēi àn xiàn xiàng. shī zhōng jù jù qiē zhōng yào hài, zì zì zhū jī, lìng zài zuò de quán guì men yǎ kǒu wú yán. shì hòu, quán guì men suī yǒu bù yuè, què bù dé bù chéng rèn lǐ bái de shī jù de què qiē zhōng yào hài, fǎn yìng le shè huì xiàn shí. cóng cǐ,“qiē zhōng yào hài” biàn liú chuán kāi lái, yòng lái xíng róng pī píng huò jiàn jiě qià dào hǎo chù, shuō dào le wèntí de guān jiàn zhī chù

It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a poet named Li Bai who was known for his extraordinary talent. One day, he was invited to a banquet hosted by a powerful noble. During the banquet, the nobles exchanged pleasantries and flattered each other. Li Bai, however, felt displeased and composed a poem under the influence of alcohol. This poem was not a eulogy but a frank criticism of the various dark aspects of society at that time. Every line of the poem hit the nail on the head, leaving the nobles speechless. Afterward, although the nobles were unhappy, they had to admit that Li Bai's poem indeed hit the nail on the head, reflecting social reality. Since then, the idiom "切中要害" (qiē zhōng yào hài) has been widely used to describe criticisms or opinions that precisely address the key issue.

Usage

用作谓语、定语；多用于书面语。

yòng zuò wèi yǔ, dìng yǔ; duō yòng yú shū miàn yǔ

Used as a predicate or attributive; mostly used in written language.

Examples

• 他的批评切中要害，令人信服。

  tā de pīpíng qiē zhōng yào hài, lìng rén xìnfú

  His criticism hit the nail on the head.

• 这篇文章切中要害，指出了问题的症结所在。

  zhè piān wénzhāng qiē zhōng yào hài, zhǐ chū le wèntí de zhèngjié suǒ zài

  This article hits the nail on the head and points out the crux of the problem.

Related Idioms

• 一针见血

• 直击要害

Opposite Idioms

• 避重就轻

• 含糊其辞