Pertinence is how far something really belongs to what you are considering. A question has pertinence when it is not just nearby in topic, but actually helps you think about the thing in front of you.

Pertinence切題、中肯 is how far something really belongs指的是某件事跟你在考慮的事到底有多相關、to what you are considering。A question一個問題 has pertinence具有 pertinence、when it is not just nearby in topic不只是話題上沾得到邊、but actually helps you think about the thing in front of you而是真的能幫你思考眼前這件事。

A story can be interesting and still have little pertinence: it does not help the decision.

A story一個故事 can be interesting可以很有趣、and still have little pertinence卻幾乎沒有切題性：it does not help the decision它對做決定沒有幫助。

The noun is quite formal; you meet it in essays, meetings, and reports more than in chat. In everyday English people usually say relevance instead, or they say that something is beside the point.

The noun這個名詞 is quite formal相當正式；you meet it你會在 in essays, meetings, and reports文章、會議、和報告裡 遇到它 more than in chat比在閒聊裡更常見。In everyday English在日常英文裡 people usually say一般人通常會說 relevance來代替、instead、or they say that something is beside the point或說某件事 beside the point（不相干）。

Teachers and lawyers like pertinence because it is a little tighter than “related”: lots of things are related; fewer things are truly to the point.

Teachers and lawyers老師和律師 like pertinence喜歡用 pertinence 這個字、because it is a little tighter than "related"因為它比「related」（有關）更緊：lots of things are related很多事都算有關；fewer things are truly to the point但真正切中要點的事比較少。