兹事体大

茲事體大
zīshìtǐdà
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 this is a serious matter
  2. 2 the matter at hand is of great importance
  3. 3 this is no small thing

Examples

Zī shì tǐ dà, bìxū shènzhòng chǔlǐ.
This is a serious matter and must be handled with care.
Zī shì tǐ dà, wǒ yí ge rén bù gǎn zuòzhǔ.
The matter is too big — I don't dare make the decision alone.

Tips

history
From · (Bān Gù)'s 《》: '兹事体大' ('this matter is grave and proper'). Originally describing affairs of state requiring imperial deliberation; today it adds gravity to a meeting, board memo, or news commentary.
register
Formal / written register. Common in news editorials, government documents, and business communication when something needs to be flagged as 'we cannot rush this.' Sounds out of place in casual speech.

Stroke Order

shì