単たん刀とう直ちょく入にゅう

た

ん

と

う

ちょ

く

にゅ

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

straight to the point; point-blank; frank; direct

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Describes a manner of speaking or acting that is blunt and without preamble. Often used with に as an adverb.

単たん刀とう直ちょく入にゅうに言いうと、その計けい画かくは失しっ敗ぱいだ。

To put it bluntly, that plan is a failure.

彼かれは単たん刀とう直ちょく入にゅうな質しつ問もんをした。

He asked a direct question.

Kanji

単simple, one, single
刀sword, saber, knife
直straightaway, honesty, frankness
入enter, insert
短short, brevity, fault

Related words

端たん的てきN1
単刀直入 describes getting straight to the main point without preamble, much like 端的 but with a slightly more idiomatic, four-character feel.
率そっ直ちょくN2
単刀直入 stresses getting straight to the point without preamble, while 率直 more broadly describes honest, unvarnished expression of feelings or opinions.

Built from

単たん刀とう+

Written forms

単たん刀とう直ちょく入にゅう
Standard kanji form; a yojijukugo meaning 'straight to the point'.
短たん刀とう直ちょく入にゅう
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; 短刀 means 'short sword', but this form is occasionally seen.

Etymology

A yojijukugo derived from the image of entering (入) directly (直) with a single (単) sword (刀), i.e., cutting straight to the heart of the matter. The irregular form 短刀直入 replaces 単 with 短 ('short'), but the meaning remains the same.

直ちょく入にゅう