Meaning
确切 means 'exact' or 'precise' and is used when something is accurate, definite, or without ambiguity. It emphasizes certainty and correctness in descriptions, statements, or information. The word combines 确 (sure, certain) and 切 (close, fitting), creating the sense of being both certain and fitting closely to reality.
Usage
确切 is commonly used in formal and semi-formal contexts to emphasize precision in information, dates, numbers, or statements. It often appears before nouns (确切的时间 'the exact time') or as an adverb (确切地说 'to be precise'). Native speakers use it when they want to stress that information is reliable and not approximate.
Examples
- 01我不知道确切的时间，但应该是下午三点左右。, .I don't know the exact time, but it should be around 3 PM.
- 02确切地说，这个项目需要六个月才能完成。, .To be precise, this project will take six months to complete.
Characters
Common collocations
- 确切的时间the exact time
- 确切的数字the exact number
- 确切地说to be precise, precisely speaking
- 确切消息definite news, reliable information
Antonyms
Origin
The character 确 originally meant 'solid' or 'firm' (from the stone radical 石), while 切 means 'to cut closely' or 'fitting.' Together they express the idea of information that is both solid/certain and precisely fitting to reality.