Definition
要害 (yàohài) has two distinct uses: literally, a vital part of the body (an injury here is life-threatening); figuratively, the crux or key point of an issue. It is more concrete and dramatic than 关键 (guānjiàn) or 重点 (zhòngdiǎn), which are the everyday words for 'key point' or 'focus'. 要害 often implies hitting a vulnerable or decisive spot.
noun
vital part (of the body)key pointcrux (of an issue or argument)
Examples
- ,要害。Tā shǒubì shòushāng le, dàn suǒxìng méiyǒu shāng dào yào hài.His arm was injured, but luckily no vital part was hurt.
- 要害。Tā yíxià jiù zhuā dào le wèntí de yào hài.He immediately grasped the crux of the problem.
- ,要害。Tā fēnxī de hěn tòuchè, měi jù huà dōu dǎ zhòng le yào hài.His analysis was very thorough; every sentence hit the key point.
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