當頭棒

Simplified: 当头棒

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dāngtóubàng ㄉㄤㄊㄡˊ ㄅㄤˋ

- a sharp warning that jolts someone awake
- wake-up call

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Saying俗语俗語

Idiom惯用语 · Widely known

Literally: a blow on the head
Meaning: A sharp warning that jolts someone awake, from the Zen practice of striking students. Close to "a wake-up call".

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