首当其冲 (shǒu dāng) — to be the first to bear the brunt; to be the most directly affected (by a misfortune or attack)
Definition
Literally 'head first, take the charge': the one hit hardest or earliest when something bad happens — a misfortune, policy change, or attack falls most directly on it.
idiom
to be the first to bear the bruntto be the most directly affected (by a misfortune or attack)
Examples
- ,首当其冲。Zài zhè cì jīn róng wēi jī zhōng, chuán tǒng zhì zào yè shǒu dāng shòu dào zhòng dà dǎ jī.During this financial crisis, traditional manufacturing bore the brunt of the heavy blow.
- ,首当其冲,。Zhèng cè biàn huà hòu, xiǎo qǐ yè shǒu dāng, jīng yíng gèng jiā kùn nan.After the policy change, small businesses were the first to suffer, making their operations even more difficult.
- ,首当其冲,。Yì qíng bào fā shí, yī hù rén yuán shǒu dāng, chōng zài zuì qián xiàn.When the pandemic broke out, medical workers bore the brunt, rushing to the front lines.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.