切中时弊

切中時弊

qièzhòngshíbì

idiom

Meanings

1 to hit the nail on the head about current social ills
2 to pinpoint the problems of the day

Characters

precisely / closely

current / contemporary

Examples

这篇评论切中时弊，引起了广泛讨论。

Zhè piān pínglùn qièzhòngshíbì, yǐnqǐ le guǎngfàn tǎolùn.

This commentary cut right to the heart of today's problems and sparked widespread discussion.

他的发言切中时弊，赢得满堂喝彩。

Tā de fāyán qièzhòngshíbì, yíngdé mǎntáng hècǎi.

His remarks pinpointed the issues of the day and won applause from the whole audience.

Tips

history

切 'precisely' + 中 'hit the mark' + 时弊 'current social ills.' Used in modern essay writing — Ding Yilan's tribute 《不单是为了纪念》 praised certain essays for being 旗帜鲜明、爱憎分明、切中时弊 ('clear in stance, sharp in judgment, on-target about current ills'), the classic register for this phrase.

Stroke Order

切 qiē

中 zhōng

时 shí

弊 bì