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不可或缺 (bù kě-huò quē) — indispensable; essential; must have

Definition

A formal phrase meaning 'indispensable, cannot be omitted' — stronger than 必要 ('necessary') and closer in force to 必不可少 ('absolutely essential').

phrase
indispensableessentialmust have

Examples

  • ，不可或缺。
    Zài tuán duì hé zuò zhōng, gōu tōng shì bù kě-huò quē de.
    In teamwork, communication is indispensable.
  • 不可或缺。
    Zhè běn shū duì yán jiū lì shǐ bù kě-huò quē.
    This book is indispensable for studying history.
  • 不可或缺。
    Tā de jīng yàn duì zhè ge xiàng mù lái shuō bù kě-huò quē.
    Her experience is indispensable for this project.

Origin

Characters in this word

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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
戈戈gē
Sound part声符shēngfú
員
員yuán或huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

或 combines 戈, a weapon shape, with 員, which supplies the sound.

Open 或 →

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
缶缶fǒuearthen pot
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài缺quē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

缺 pairs 缶, an earthen pot, with 夬, which gives the sound.

Open 缺 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set Phrases

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