TongTong
Sign in

不治之症 (bù zhì zhī zhèng) — incurable disease; terminal illness; (figurative) deep-rooted problem that seems impossible to solve

Definition

A chengyu-style noun meaning 'incurable disease or terminal illness'. Often used figuratively for deep-rooted problems (like corruption) that seem impossible to fix.

noun
incurable diseaseterminal illness(figurative) deep-rooted problem that seems impossible to solve

Examples

  • 不治之症，。
    Yī shēng shuō tā dé le bù zhì zhī zhèng, zuì duō huó bàn nián.
    The doctor said he has an incurable disease and has at most six months to live.
  • 不治之症。
    Fǔ bài zài xǔ duō guó jiā dōu bèi shì wéi bù zhì zhī zhèng.
    Corruption is regarded as an incurable disease in many countries.
  • ，不治之症。
    Chú fēi zhǎo dào xīn de zhì liáo fāng fǎ, fǒu zé zhè zhǒng ái zhèng réng shì bù zhì zhī zhèng.
    Unless new treatments are found, this type of cancer will remain an incurable disease.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái治zhì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

治 has 水 (water) and 台; 台 gives the sound, and the character named a river.

Open 治 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèdisease
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng症zhèng
Same sound today

The left part 疒 shows it is about disease. The right part 正 is used for the sound.

Open 症 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesIllness & Symptoms

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.