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秘诀 (mì jué) — secret to success, key method, recipe for success

Definition

秘诀 (mìjué) is the 'secret trick or recipe for success' — a special method that reliably works. It's closer to 诀窍 ('knack/trick') than to 做法 ('general method'); 秘方 is for literal recipes/formulas, and 奥秘 is for deep, unknowable mysteries.

noun
secret to successkey methodrecipe for success

Examples

  • 秘诀。
    Chéng gōng de mì jué shì jiān chí nǔ lì.
    The secret to success is persistent effort.
  • 秘诀。
    Bǎo chí jiàn kāng de mì jué shì měi tiān yùn dòng.
    The secret to staying healthy is exercising every day.
  • 秘诀。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng de chéng gōng mì jué shì yòng xīn xiān de cái liào.
    This restaurant's secret to success is using fresh ingredients.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

秘mìsecret
诀juékey formula

“秘” (secret) and “诀” (key formula) combine as a secret key or method for doing something.

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
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
必
必bì秘Bì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 必 part gives 秘 its sound. The 禾 side replaced an older ritual marker, linking it to secret rituals and arcane meaning.

Open 秘 →

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 訣; 诀 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài訣jué
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 訣 puts 言 beside 夬: 言 is the meaning part, and 夬 gives the sound. The simplified 诀 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 诀 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.