灵丹妙药 (líng dān miào yào) — panacea, miraculous cure-all, magic solution

Definition

A chengyu literally meaning 'magic elixir and wonder drug', used figuratively for a perfect fix to any problem. Almost always appears in negative sentences — 世上没有灵丹妙药 — to say no one-size-fits-all solution exists.

idiom
panaceamiraculous cure-allmagic solution

Examples

  • 灵丹妙药。
    Shì shàng méi yǒu jiě jué suǒ yǒu wèn tí de líng dān miào yào.
    There is no panacea in the world that solves all problems.
  • 灵丹妙药，。
    Chéng gōng méi yǒu líng dān miào yào, zhǐ yǒu bú duàn nǔ lì.
    There is no magic formula for success — only continuous hard work.
  • 灵丹妙药。
    Bié zhǐ wàng yǒu shén me líng dān miào yào néng mǎ shàng gǎi biàn xiàn zhuàng.
    Don't expect any miraculous cure to change the situation overnight.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

灵丹spirit pill
灵língefficacious丹dānpill
偏正Modifier + head
妙药wondrous medicine
妙miàowondrous药yàomedicine
偏正Modifier + head

灵丹 is a spirit pill and 妙药 is a wondrous medicine; together they name a miraculous cure.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 靈; 灵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
霝
霝líng靈líng
Same sound today

This note describes the traditional form 靈, not the simplified 灵: 霝 gives the sound, and 玉 (jade) is the meaning part.

Open 灵 →

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

The shape 丹 shows a well or mine with red cinnabar inside.

Open 丹 →

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
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
少
少shǎo妙miào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

妙 combines 女, a woman, with 少, which gives the sound.

Open 妙 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 藥; 药 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
樂
樂lè藥yào
Same sound today

In the traditional form 藥, 艹 shows grass and 樂 gives the sound; this story is about 藥, not about the simplified 药.

Open 药 →

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