一锤定音 (yī chuí dìng yīn) — to have the final say; to make the decisive call

Definition

Idiom meaning 'to make the final, decisive call' that ends a debate. 比 '拍板' 更书面，常用来强调某人或某方拥有决定性的话语权。

idiom
to have the final sayto make the decisive call

Examples

  • ，一锤定音。
    Zhè ge wèn tí dà jiā zhēng lùn le hěn jiǔ, zuì hòu yóu jīng lǐ yī chuí dìng yīn.
    Everyone argued over this issue for a long time, until the manager had the final say.
  • ，一锤定音。
    Zài tuán duì lǐ, lǎo bǎn de yì jiàn zǒng shì néng yī chuí dìng yīn.
    In the team, the boss's opinion always carries the final word.
  • ，一锤定音。
    Jīng guò duō lún tán pàn, zuì zhōng yóu zhōng fāng dài biǎo yī chuí dìng yīn.
    After several rounds of negotiations, the Chinese representative had the final word.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

一锤one hammer blow
一yīone锤chuíhammer
偏正Modifier + head
定音settles the note
定dìngsettle音yīnnote
动宾Verb + object

一锤, 'one hammer blow', and 定音, 'settles the note', combine to mean make the decisive call.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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 錘; 锤 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 锤 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 錘; in others it is 鎚.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
垂
垂chuí錘chuí
Same sound today

The traditional form 錘 pairs 金 (metal) with 垂, which gives its sound; the simplified 锤 is a later shorthand.

Open 锤 →

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
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

音 adds a short stroke that seals the mouth-like part, showing a covered or muffled sound rather than speech.

Open 音 →

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