对症下药 duì zhèng xià yào treat the symptom

Explanation

这个成语比喻针对具体情况采取相应的措施，如同医生给病人看病，要先诊断病情，然后针对不同的病症开出不同的药方，这样才能治好病。

This idiom is a metaphor for taking corresponding measures according to specific circumstances, just like a doctor treating a patient, first diagnosing the disease, and then prescribing different medications for different diseases, so that the patient can be cured.

Origin Story

战国时期，有一个名叫扁鹊的名医，他医术高超，医德高尚，深受百姓爱戴。一天，扁鹊在街上行走，突然看到一个病人，脸色苍白，呼吸急促，好像病得很重。扁鹊连忙上前询问病情，病人说：“我最近头痛欲裂，身体乏力，怎么也治不好。”扁鹊仔细诊断后发现，病人是由于过度劳累，导致体内积热，所以才出现了头痛、乏力等症状。于是，扁鹊便开了一剂清热解毒的药方给病人，病人服下后，很快就感觉好多了。扁鹊治病对症下药，果然药到病除，病人对扁鹊的医术佩服得五体投地。从此以后，扁鹊的名声更加远播，人们都称赞他的医术高超，并且把他誉为“神医”。

zhàn guó shí qī, yǒu yī gè míng jiào biǎn què de míng yī, tā yī shù gāo chāo, yī dé gāo shàng, shēn shòu bǎi xìng ài dài. yī tiān, biǎn què zài jiē shàng xíng zǒu, tú rán kàn dào yī gè bìng rén, liǎn sè cāng bái, hū xī jí cù, hǎo xiàng bìng de hěn zhòng. biǎn què lián máng shàng qián xún wèn bìng qíng, bìng rén shuō: “wǒ zuì jìn tóu tòng yù liè, shēn tǐ fá lì, zěn me yě zhì bù hǎo.” biǎn què zǐ xì zhěn duàn hòu fā xiàn, bìng rén shì yóu yú guò dù láo lèi, dǎo zhì tǐ nèi jī rè, suǒ yǐ cái chū xiàn le tóu tòng, fá lì děng zhèng zhuàng. yú shì, biǎn què biàn kāi le yī jì qīng rè jiě dú de yào fāng gěi bìng rén, bìng rén fú xià hòu, hěn kuài jiù gǎn jué hǎo duō le. biǎn què zhì bìng duì zhèng xià yào, guǒ rán yào dào bìng chú, bìng rén duì biǎn què de yī shù pèi fú de wǔ tǐ tóu dì. cóng cǐ yǐ hòu, biǎn què de míng shēng gèng jiā yuǎn bō, rén men dōu chēng zàn tā de yī shù gāo chāo, bìng qiě bǎ tā yù wéi “shén yī”.

In the Warring States period, there was a famous doctor named Bian Que, known for his superb medical skills and high moral character, who was deeply loved by the people. One day, Bian Que was walking in the street when he suddenly saw a patient, pale in the face, short of breath, as if he was very ill. Bian Que hurriedly went forward and asked about his condition. The patient said, “I have had a splitting headache recently, I feel weak, and I can't get better.” Bian Que carefully diagnosed and found that the patient was suffering from excessive fatigue, leading to internal heat accumulation, which resulted in symptoms like headache and weakness. Therefore, Bian Que prescribed a decoction for clearing heat and detoxifying to the patient, who felt much better after taking it. Bian Que treated the disease with the right medicine, and the medicine cured the illness. The patient was amazed by Bian Que's medical skills. Since then, Bian Que's reputation spread even further, and people praised his superb medical skills, calling him

Usage

这个成语多用于比喻针对具体情况采取相应的措施，例如：针对不同的学习方法，要选择适合自己的学习方法，才能取得更好的学习效果；针对不同的工作情况，要制定不同的工作计划，才能提高工作效率；针对不同的生活问题，要采取不同的解决办法，才能更好地解决问题。

zhè gè chéng yǔ duō yòng yú bǐ yù gēn jù jù tǐ qíng kuàng cǎi qǔ xiāng yìng de cuò shī, lì rú: gēn jù bù tóng de xué xí fāng fǎ, yào xuǎn zé shì hé zì jǐ de xué xí fāng fǎ, cái néng qǔ dé gèng hǎo de xué xí xiào guǒ; gēn jù bù tóng de gōng zuò qíng kuàng, yào zhì dìng bù tóng de gōng zuò jì huà, cái néng tí gāo gōng zuò xiào lǜ; gēn jù bù tóng de shēng huó wèn tí, yào cǎi qǔ bù tóng de jiě jué bàn fǎ, cái néng gèng hǎo de jiě jué wèn tí.

This idiom is often used to refer to taking corresponding measures according to specific circumstances, for example: For different learning methods, you should choose the learning method that suits you best to achieve better learning results; for different work situations, you should formulate different work plans to improve work efficiency; for different life problems, you should take different solutions to solve problems better.

Examples

• 医生针对病人的不同病症，开出不同的药方，这才是对症下药。

  yī shēng gēn jù bìng rén de bù tóng bìng zhèng, kāi chū bù tóng de yào fāng, zhè cái shì duì zhèng xià yào.

  Doctors prescribe different medications for different diseases, this is the right treatment.

• 学习也要对症下药，针对自己的薄弱环节加强练习。

  xué xí yě yào duì zhèng xià yào, gēn jù zì jǐ de bó ruò huán jié jiā qiáng liàn xí.

  Learning should also be targeted, to strengthen your weaknesses.

• 针对当前经济形势，政府制定了一系列对症下药的政策措施。

  gēn jù dāng qián jīng jì xíng shì, zhèng fǔ zhì dìng le yī xi lìe duì zhèng xià yào de zhèng cè cuò shī.

  In response to the current economic situation, the government has formulated a series of targeted policy measures.

Related Idioms

• 有的放矢

• 因地制宜

Opposite Idioms

• 乱开药方

• 不分青红皂白