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刻不容缓 (kè bù róng huǎn) — urgent, demanding immediate action; cannot be delayed

Definition

A formal, written phrase meaning a task is so urgent it cannot be delayed by even a moment. Stronger than 紧急 ('urgent'); 迫不及待 and 心急如焚 describe the speaker's impatience, not the task itself.

phrase
urgentdemanding immediate actioncannot be delayed

Examples

  • 刻不容缓，。
    Huán jìng wèn tí kè bù róng huǎn, wǒ men bì xū mǎ shàng cǎi qǔ xíng dòng.
    Environmental issues brook no delay; we must take action immediately.
  • 刻不容缓，。
    Jiù zāi gōng zuò kè bù róng huǎn, měi yì fēn zhōng dōu guān xì dào shēng mìng.
    Disaster relief work cannot be delayed; every minute is a matter of life.
  • 刻不容缓，。
    Zhè ge jué dìng kè bù róng huǎn, zài tuō xià qù sǔn shī huì gèng dà.
    This decision demands immediate action; any further delay will cause greater losses.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài刻kè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

刻 is made of 刂, a form of 刀 (knife), and 亥, which gives the sound.

Open 刻 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
公
公gōng容róng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 容, the 宀 (roof) part points to holding or containing, and 公 gives the sound.

Open 容 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 緩; 缓 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
爰
爰yuán緩huǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 緩 pairs 糸 (silk) with 爰, which gives the sound; the simplified 缓 is a later shorthand.

Open 缓 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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