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要害

yàohài
noun HSK 7-9 #8,848

Meanings

  1. 1 vital point; crucial spot
  2. 2 key part; strategic point

Characters

要
yào
important; vital
害
hài
harm; critical
Literally 'important harm' - the spot where harm would be most critical.

Examples

HSK 3
他说话总能说到要害。
Tā shuōhuà zǒng néng shuō dào yàohài.
He always gets right to the crucial point when he speaks.
HSK 5
这个问题的要害在于资金不足。
Zhège wèntí de yàohài zàiyú zījīn bùzú.
The crux of this problem is insufficient funding.
HSK 7-9
一拳打在了要害部位。
Yī quán dǎ zài le yàohài bùwèi.
The punch hit a vital spot.

Tips

usage
要害 is used both literally (vital spot on the body, as in martial arts) and figuratively (the heart of a problem, a strategic location). In military contexts, 要害之地 means a strategically critical area.

Stroke Order

要 yào
害 hài