Chinese word

关头

Pronunciation

Pinyinguān tóu

Meaning

  • nouncritical point

Example

事情到关头了，该决定了。shì qíng dào guān tóu le gāi jué dìng le

Things have reached a critical point; it's time to decide.

Illustration for 关头 (critical point)

More examples

在关键关头，他的决定影响全局。zài guān jiàn guān tóu tā de jué dìng yíng xiǎng quán jú

At the critical juncture, his decision affected the entire situation.

Core concept

The point in a developing situation where the next decision or action can change what happens.

Common phrases

  • 到了关头dào le guān tóu

    reach a critical point

  • 关键关头guān jiàn guān tóu

    critical juncture

  • 紧要关头jǐn yào guān tóu

    crucial juncture

Similar words

关键guān jiàn: A particularly important part or factor in a matter.
关键时刻guān jiàn shí kè: A critical moment when the outcome is likely to be determined.
转折点zhuǎn zhé diǎn: A point in a process that brings about a major change in its direction.
临界点lín jiè diǎn: A threshold at which a property or state starts to change.

Definition in Chinese

指事情发展到必须做出决定或采取行动的关键时刻。zhǐ shì qíng fā zhǎn dào bì xū zuò chū jué dìng huò cái qǔ xíng dòng de guān jiàn shí kè

Word origin

关头 (guāntóu, "critical juncture") combines 关 (guān, "gate or pass") and 头 (tóu, "head or end"), creating the image of reaching the decisive point of a passage.

Usage tips

  • Its use adds urgency: it points to a stage where delay makes a decision or action necessary, not to every point that is simply important.

Other meanings

  • brinknoun
  • turning pointnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word