玄机 (xuán jī) — (in Daoism and Buddhism) profound theory; mysterious principles; (figurative) hidden secret; key to understanding something
Definition
Literally 'mysterious mechanism' — in Daoist/Buddhist texts it means profound theory, but in everyday use it usually means the hidden secret or trick behind something. Often used in phrases like 玄机在于… ('the key lies in…').
noun
(in Daoism and Buddhism) profound theorymysterious principles(figurative) hidden secretkey to understanding something
Examples
- 玄机，。Dào jiā xuán jī, shēn bù kě cè.The mysterious principles of Daoism are unfathomable.
- 玄机。Tā kàn tòu le qí zhōng de xuán jī.He saw through the hidden secret in it.
- 玄机。Zhè ge mí yǔ de xuán jī zài yú zuì hòu yí gè zì.The key to this riddle lies in the last character.
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