症结

HSK 7-9

zhēngjié

crux of the problem; key point (lit. 'illness knot')

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

了解症结所在，才能解决问题。

liǎojiě zhēngjié suǒzài, cái néng jiějué wèntí.

To solve a problem, one must first understand its root cause

会议的症结在于资金不足。

huìyì de zhēngjié zài yú jīzī bùzú.

The crux of the meeting lies in insufficient funding