症结 zhēng jié

crux of an issue; sticking point; main point in an argument

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 22656th word

Definitions

  1. 1. crux of an issue
  2. 2. sticking point
  3. 3. main point in an argument
  4. 4. deadlock in negotiations
  5. 5. hard lump in the abdomen (in Chinese medicine)

Characters

Character Meaning
症 zhēng HSK 6
disease; illness; (fig.) sticking point
结 jié HSK 3
to tie; knot; to bind