Chinese word

当务之急

Pronunciation

Pinyindāng wù zhī jí

Meaning

  • nountop priority

Example

在灾难发生时，当务之急是救助伤者。zài zāi nàn fā shēng shí dāng wù zhī jí shì jiù zhù shāng zhě

In a disaster, the top priority is helping the injured.

Illustration for 当务之急 (top priority)

More examples

面对疫情，当务之急是保证医疗资源供应。miàn duì yì qíng dāng wù zhī jí shì bǎo zhèng yī liáo zī yuán gōng yìng

Faced with the pandemic, the top priority is ensuring the supply of medical resources.

Core concept

One matter rises above all others and must be handled before anything else.

Common phrases

  • 当前的当务之急dāng qián dí dàng wù zhī jí

    current top priority

  • 优先处理当务之急yōu xiān chú lǐ dāng wù zhī jí

    prioritize the most urgent task

Similar words

首要任务shǒu yào rèn wù: The most important task to do before other tasks.
燃眉之急rán méi zhī jí: A pressing matter that requires an immediate solution.
当前要务dāng qián yào wù: A key matter requiring attention for the time being.

Definition in Chinese

必须先处理、不能推迟的最紧迫的事务。bì xū xiān chú lǐ bù néng tuī chí de zuì jǐn pò de shì wù

Word origin

The idiom combines 当 (dāng, "at present") + 务 (wù, "duty") + 之 (zhī, "of") + 急 (jí, "urgency") to describe the urgency of the duty at hand.

Usage tips

  • In conversational Chinese, this idiom sounds relatively formal and is especially common in serious discussions, reports, and public statements rather than casual exchanges.

Other meanings

  • urgent tasknoun
  • immediate concernnoun

Opposites

  • 长期目标cháng qī mù biāolong-term goalnoun
  • 次要任务cì yào rèn wùsecondary tasknoun

Word lists with this word