对症下药 duìzhèng-xiàyào literally to prescribe the right medicine for an illness
literally to prescribe the right medicine for an illness (idiom); figuratively to study a problem to find the right way to solve it; to take appropriate steps
How to remember 对症下药: 对 correct + 症 ailment + 下 down + 药 medicine = literally to prescribe the right medicine for an illness.
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How it is used
- Idiom, 'prescribe medicine to fit the illness' - tailor the solution to the actual problem: 要对症下药，先找出原因 (yào duìzhèng xiàyào, xiān zhǎo chū yuányīn) to fix it right, first find the cause.
- Praises targeted, diagnosis-first problem-solving; contrasts with blanket or guesswork fixes.
- Used well beyond medicine - management, teaching, policy.