📖 Meaning
要害 refers to a vital or vulnerable spot that can be fatal. The idiom means to strike the most critical point, either literally in combat or figuratively by addressing the crux of a problem or exposing someone's key weakness.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the Book of Later Han (后汉书), in the Biography of Lai Xi (来歙). Lai Xi was a prominent general and diplomat of the Eastern Han dynasty serving under Emperor Guangwu. He was ambushed and fatally wounded by an assassin at night, and in his final report he wrote that the attacker had struck his vital spot (中臣要害). Over time the expression came to describe hitting upon the most crucial point of any matter.
💡 Example Usage
他的这番话击中要害，让对方无言以对。
His remarks hit the nail on the head, leaving his opponent speechless.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 击中要害
- Pinyin: jī zhòng yào hài
- Literal Translation: strike, hit, vital, point
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4