要害

• 拼音: yào hài
• 汉字拆解: 要 = critical/essential; 害 = 宀 (roof) + 口 (mouth) + 丰 (abundance — original sense: a place where harm concentrates; critical point)

含义

Vital point; critical vulnerability; the most important or most sensitive aspect of something.

Originally a military term for a strategically vital location or a lethal point on the body. Extended to mean the crux of an issue, a critical weakness in an argument or plan. Frequently used in political, military, and analytical writing.

例句

1. 这位记者的提问直击要害，令发言人措手不及，现场出现了短暂的沉默。
2. 谈判专家指出，找准对方立场中的要害所在，才能在关键时刻以最小的让步换取最大的回报。
3. 边境地区的数个战略要害已被对方占领，如不尽快夺回，后续的防御部署将面临极大困难。

用法指南

语境: military, politics, debate, analysis

语气: serious

正确说法

• 改革方案若要真正奏效，就必须触及现行体制的要害，而不能仅仅停留在边缘性的技术调整上，否则不过是隔靴搔痒，无济于事。(If the reform plan is to truly take effect, it must strike at the vital point of the current system rather than merely remaining at marginal technical adjustments; otherwise it is no more than scratching the surface and will achieve nothing.)
• 侦查人员通过对海量通话记录的系统梳理，终于找到了这个跨国犯罪网络的组织要害，为后续一举捣毁整个犯罪链条奠定了坚实的证据基础。(By systematically sorting through a vast volume of call records, investigators finally identified the organisational vital point of this transnational criminal network, laying a solid evidentiary foundation for subsequently dismantling the entire criminal chain in one fell swoop.)

错误说法

• 他的要害是懒惰 — while 要害 can mean a critical weakness, this use is overly blunt in casual character evaluation; say 他最大的问题是懒惰 or 懒惰是他的致命弱点; 要害 sounds too militaristic for everyday character description

起源与历史

要 (critical/essential) + 害 (harm/vital — 宀 roof + 口 mouth + 丰 abundance; originally to harm; a point where harm is concentrated)

文化背景

时代: Classical/Modern

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal