adjective / adverb HSK 5
concise · to the point · brief and to the point
Meaning
扼要 means to express something in a concise and essential way, capturing only the key points without unnecessary details. It emphasizes brevity while maintaining completeness of the main ideas.
Usage
Commonly used in formal and written contexts to describe summaries, reports, or speech that gets straight to the point. Often appears with verbs like 说明 (to explain) or 介绍 (to introduce). Native speakers use it to praise efficient communication that doesn't waste time on irrelevant details.
Examples
- 01他简明扼要地介绍了项目的主要内容。.He gave a brief and concise introduction to the main content of the project.
- 02请扼要说明你的观点，我们时间有限。, .Please explain your viewpoint concisely; our time is limited.
Characters
Common collocations
- 简明扼要brief and to the point
- 扼要说明to explain concisely
- 扼要介绍to introduce briefly
- 扼要地concisely, briefly
Antonyms
Origin
The character 扼 originally meant to grip or seize at a critical point (like the throat), while 要 means essential or important. Together they metaphorically suggest grasping the essential points.