諺語 · a single proverb
治標不治本
Simplified: 治标不治本
What does 治標不治本 (zhì biāo bù zhì běn) mean?
治標不治本 (zhì biāo bù zhì běn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "treating the symptoms but not the root." In use it means: Addressing surface problems without tackling the underlying cause guarantees the problems will return. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "treating the symptoms but not the root."
The reading
The headache is not the disease. The headache is the announcement. Taking a pill for the announcement and ignoring the disease is a strategy that works until it does not, and when it stops working, the disease has had more time to settle in.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Huangdi Neijing 黃帝內經 tradition; common medical proverb
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 治標不治本 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 治標不治本 (zhì biāo bù zhì běn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Huangdi Neijing 黃帝內經 tradition; common medical proverb. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 治標不治本?
In Mandarin it is zhì biāo bù zhì běn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 治標不治本 aloud in Mandarin.