真髓

zhēnsuǐ
noun

Meanings

  1. 1 essence
  2. 2 true core
  3. 3 the deepest meaning of something

Examples

Tā zhōngyú lǐngwù le chán de zhēnsuǐ.
He finally grasped the essence of Zen.
Zhè běn shū dào chū le Zhōngguó shūfǎ de zhēnsuǐ.
This book expresses the true essence of Chinese calligraphy.

Tips

memory
means 'marrow' — the core hidden inside bone. So 真髓 = 'the true marrow', the irreducible core. Synonyms: 精髓 (jīngsuǐ — most common), 真谛 (zhēndì — for abstract truths). 真髓 has a slight Japanese-loan flavor ( shinzui).

Stroke Order

zhēn
suǐ