对症下药
duìzhèngxiàyào
to suit the remedy to the case; tailor the solution to the problem
Characters in this word
症 zhèng
- Strokes
- 10
- Radical
- 疒 — sickness, disease
- Made of
- 疒 sickness, disease 正 straight, right, proper, correct, just, true
- How it's built
- Phono-semantic — one part hints at the meaning, another at the sound
药 yào
- Strokes
- 9
- Radical
- 艹 — grass, weed, plant, herb
- Made of
- 艹 grass, weed, plant, herb 约 treaty, covenant, agreement
- How it's built
- Phono-semantic — one part hints at the meaning, another at the sound
Example phrases
- 医生先问清症状，再对症下药。 Yīshēng xiān wèn qīng zhèngzhuàng, zài duìzhèng xiàyào. The doctor first asks about the symptoms clearly, then prescribes the right remedy.
- 孩子成绩下降的原因不同，家长要对症下药。 Háizi chéngjì xiàjiàng de yuányīn bù tóng, jiāzhǎng yào duìzhèng xiàyào. Children's grades drop for different reasons, so parents must tailor the remedy to the cause.
- 修理工找到原因后才对症下药，问题很快就解决了。 Xiūlǐgōng zhǎodào yuányīn hòu cái duìzhèng xiàyào, wèntí hěn kuài jiù jiějué le. The repairman found the cause first and then applied exactly the right fix, so the problem was solved quickly.
Related words
- 不对 búduì wrong, incorrect
- 对 duì right, correct
- 对不起 duìbuqǐ sorry, excuse me
- 对 duì to match; to face
- 对话 duìhuà dialogue
- 对面 duìmiàn opposite; across from
- 对待 duìdài to treat; to deal with
- 对方 duìfāng the other side; the other person
- 对手 duìshǒu opponent; rival
- 对象 duìxiàng partner; boyfriend or girlfriend
- 反对 fǎnduì to oppose
- 绝对 juéduì absolutely