諺語 · a single proverb
治標治本
Simplified: 治标治本
What does 治標治本 (zhì biāo zhì běn) mean?
治標治本 (zhì biāo zhì běn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "treating both the symptoms and the root." In use it means: The complete approach to a problem: addressing what hurts now while also fixing what caused it. 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 both the symptoms and the root."
The reading
Stop the bleeding, then find the wound. Both actions are necessary. The one who only stops the bleeding will be back next week. The one who only finds the wound will lose the patient today. The complete treatment respects the urgency of the surface and the permanence of the root.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese medicine principle; Huangdi Neijing tradition
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 治標治本 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 治標治本 (zhì biāo zhì běn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese medicine principle; Huangdi Neijing tradition. 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 治標治本?
In Mandarin it is zhì biāo zhì běn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 治標治本 aloud in Mandarin.