一针见血
- Literal
- to draw blood with a single needle
- Figurative
- To hit the nail on the head in a few words; to put your finger on the exact heart of the matter instead of circling it.
Where does 一针见血 come from?
We know of no specific anecdote behind it: the image is a medical one. A needle that finds its mark on the first try, with no groping around, becomes the metaphor for the remark that lands exactly on target. Hence its use for criticism, diagnoses and short, unerring comments. In everyday speech 血 here is usually read xiě, and that is the reading given in usage dictionaries; the pronunciation standard and other dictionaries give xuè for 血 inside set phrases, so both readings are in circulation.
How is 一针见血 used? Two examples
- 老师的评语一针见血，指出了我最大的问题。
The teacher's feedback hit the nail on the head — it named my biggest problem.
- 她一句话就一针见血，把大家都说服了。
With a single sentence she cut right to the heart of it and won everyone over.
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