针锋相对

Pronunciation: zhēn fēng xiāng duì Literal meaning: Needle points facing each other

Origin & Usage

Needle point (针锋) meeting needle point (相对). The expression comes out of Chan Buddhist dialogue, where the exchange of question and answer was described in exactly these terms — two points meeting precisely, with nothing wasted on either side. That origin explains its flavour. It describes opposition that is exactly matched and exactly aimed, rather than merely hostile, and it gets used of debates and negotiations where each move answers a specific move.

Examples

English: "During the debate, each candidate responded with immediate sharp counterarguments"

Chinese: 辩论中，每位候选人都以即时尖锐的反驳作为回应