kè刻momentbù不notróng容allowhuǎn缓delay
Demands immediate action; admit of no delay; extremely urgent.
Literal meaning
moment (刻) — not (不) — allow (容) — delay (缓)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase emphasizing the urgency of a situation.
Examples
Jiù救zāi灾gōng工zuò作kè刻bù不róng容huǎn缓。
Disaster relief work brooks no delay.
Zhè这ge个wèn问tí题kè刻bù不róng容huǎn缓，bì必xū须mǎ马shàng上jiě解jué决。
This problem is extremely urgent and must be resolved immediately.
Usage & nuances
Emphasizes the critical need for immediate action.
Learn idioms by speaking them
Idioms are most useful when they land in a real conversation. Practice them out loud in Kango — get instant feedback on tone and timing.
Download Kango on iOS