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快刀斩乱麻

kuài dāo zhǎn luàn mádictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp (idiom) / decisive action in a complex situation / cutting the Gordian knot
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-b052908214a6accf. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

快刀斬亂麻 快刀斩乱麻 [kuai4 dao1 zhan3 luan4 ma2] /lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp (idiom); decisive action in a complex situation/cutting the Gordian knot/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 快刀斬亂麻

  • 快
    kuài

    rapid / quick / speed / rate / soon / almost / to make haste / clever / sharp (of knives or wits) / forthright / plainspoken / gratified / pleased / pleasant

  • 刀
    dāo

    knife / blade / single-edged sword / cutlass (CL:把[bǎ]) / (slang) (loanword) dollar / classifier for sets of one hundred sheets (of paper) / classifier for knife cuts or stabs / (Internet slang) to bargain / to ask for a small discount (esp. on second-hand marketplaces) / (Internet slang) to knife (sb) (often used hyperbolically, as in 想刀他[xiǎng dāo tā] "I could kill him!")

    Dāo

    surname Dao

  • 斩
    zhǎn

    to behead (as form of capital punishment) / to chop

  • 乱
    luàn

    in confusion or disorder / in a confused state of mind / disorder / upheaval / riot / illicit sexual relations / to throw into disorder / to mix up / indiscriminate / random / arbitrary

  • 麻
    má

    hemp (variant of 麻[má]) / generic name for hemp, flax etc / hemp or flax fiber for textile materials / sesame / CL:縷|缕[lǚ] / (of materials) rough or coarse / pocked / pitted / to have pins and needles or tingling / to feel numb

    Má

    surname Ma

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.