当务之急

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: dāng wù zhī jí
• English Translation: The most pressing matter (top priority)
• Idiom Composition: 「当」（Current; present; at hand）＋「务」（Task; duty; affair）＋「之」（A particle indicating possession or modification (similar to 'of')）＋「急」（Urgent matter; emergency）
• Meaning: The most urgent task among current duties that requires immediate attention. It often refers to a strategic or essential priority rather than just a simple rush.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「当务之急」 contains the following nuances:

• Clarifying Priorities: This idiom is used to rank tasks, indicating that 'this one comes first.' It carries a strong recommendation to prioritize this task even if others must be delayed.
• Use in Formal Contexts: Rather than trivial personal errands, it is typically applied to large-scale problem-solving in business, politics, or social issues.

3. Usage

「当务之急」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Business & Project Management: A formal expression used in meetings or reports to point out a bottleneck or the biggest problem the team must solve immediately.
  • Example:「目前的当务之急是稳定现金流，确保公司能度过难关。」
    （The current top priority is to stabilize cash flow to ensure the company can weather this crisis.）
• Social Issues & Policy: Commonly used when discussing urgent tasks for governments or organizations, such as disaster recovery or environmental measures.
  • Example:「解决严重的空气污染问题已成为该城市的当务之急。」
    （Solving the severe air pollution problem has already become the city's most pressing matter.）
• Serious Personal Decisions: Can be used in daily conversation for significant life events like career paths or health issues to emphasize what must be done first.
  • Example:「你现在的当务之急是养好身体，工作的事以后再说。」
    （Your urgent task right now is to recover your health; we can talk about work later.）

Additional Examples:

1. 灾区重建工作千头万绪，但恢复供电供水是当务之急。
   （Reconstruction work in the disaster area is complex, but restoring electricity and water is the most urgent task.）
2. 对于初创企业来说，寻找合适的投资人往往是当务之急。
   （For startups, finding suitable investors is often the top priority.）
3. 我们必须分清轻重缓急，弄清楚什么是当务之急。
   （We must distinguish between what is important and what is secondary to clarify what the most pressing matter is.）
4. 提升产品质量是赢得市场的当务之急。
   （Improving product quality is a pressing issue for winning the market.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Origin: Derived from the book Mencius (孟子), specifically the chapter Jin Xin I (尽心上). The original phrase was 'The wise know everything, but they consider the current task as the most urgent' (知者无不知也，当务之为急).
• Grammatical Function: It functions as a noun. It is very frequently used with 'is' (是) or as a modifier with '的' (de), serving as the subject or object of a sentence.
• Tone: It has a logical and constructive ring to it. It does not suggest panic, but rather a calm and rational assessment of priorities.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 燃眉之急 (rán méi zhī jí): Literally 'the fire singeing one's eyebrows'; refers to an imminent danger or an extremely urgent matter.
  • 刻不容缓 (kè bù róng huǎn): Not a moment to be lost; emphasizes that the situation is so urgent that no delay is permitted.
  • 重中之重 (zhòng zhōng zhī zhòng): The most important among many important things.link
  • 至关重要 (zhì guān zhòng yào): Extremely important or crucial.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 不急之务 (bù jí zhī wù): A task that is not urgent; a matter that can be attended to later.
  • 无关紧要 (wú guān jǐn yào): Insignificant or irrelevant; something that does not matter much.link
  • 微不足道 (wēi bù zú dào): Something is too small or insignificant to be worth mentioning.link

6. Summary

当务之急 (dāng wù zhī jí) is a noun-like idiom used to identify the single most important task that must be addressed first. It is frequently used in formal contexts such as business, politics, or news reports, often appearing in the structure "...is the 当务之急 (dāng wù zhī jí)." It implies a logical judgment that this specific task is both critical and mandatory.