精髓 (jīng suǐ) — marrow (of bones); essence, quintessence, pith

Definition

精髓 (jīng suǐ) literally means 'marrow (of bones)' and figuratively refers to the most fundamental, vital essence of something — its core, like marrow to bones. Compared to 精华 (jīng huá), which means the 'best, most refined part,' 精髓 stresses what is indispensable and life-giving. 本质 (běn zhì) is more about intrinsic nature, while 精神 (jīng shén) as 'essence' refers to the gist or spirit of an idea.

noun

marrow (of bones)essencequintessencepith

Examples

精髓。
Zhè běn shū de jīng suǐ zàiyú tā de sīxiǎng shēndù.
The essence of this book lies in its depth of thought.
精髓。
Yīshēng cóng bìngrén de gǔtou zhōng tíqǔ le jīng suǐ.
The doctor extracted marrow from the patient's bone.
精髓。
Zhōngguó chuántǒng yìshù de jīng suǐ zàiyú yìjìng.
The essence of traditional Chinese art lies in its artistic conception.

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