实质 (shí zhì) — essence; substance; the essential part

Definition

Examples

• 我们不能只看表面，要了解问题的实质。
  Wǒ men bù néng zhī kàn biǎo miàn, yào liǎo jiě wèn tí de shí zhì.
  We can't just look at the surface; we need to understand the essence of the problem.
• 讨论了半天，但实质上没有进展。
  Tǎo lùn le bàn tiān, dàn shí zhì shàng méi yǒu jìn zhǎn.
  We discussed for a long time, but there was no progress in substance.
• 这项改革的形式虽然变了，实质并没有改变。
  Zhè xiàng gǎi gé de xíng shì suī rán biàn le, shí zhì bìng méi yǒu gǎi biàn.
  Although the form of this reform has changed, its essence hasn't.