病入膏肓 — “To be terminally ill”
病入膏肓 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be terminally ill”. Beyond cure; to be in a desperate or hopeless state; beyond remedy or recovery. Literally, “Illness has entered the 'gao' (fat around the heart) and 'huang' (area between heart and diaphragm)”.
病入膏肓 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 病bìng
- 入rù
- 膏gāo
- 肓huāng
病入膏肓 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 病入膏肓
Origin and Story of 病入膏肓
During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Jing of Jin fell seriously ill. He heard that there was a highly skilled doctor in the State of Qin, so he specifically sent someone to invite him.
Before the doctor arrived, Duke Jing had a vivid dream. He dreamt of two children quietly talking beside him. One said, "That brilliant doctor is coming soon. I think we won't be able to escape this time. Where should we hide?" The other child replied, "There's nothing to fear. We'll hide above the 'huang' and below the 'gao.' No matter how he tries to use medicine, he won't be able to reach us."
Soon after, the renowned doctor from Qin arrived and was immediately invited into Duke Jing's bedroom to treat him. After the diagnosis, the doctor told Duke Jing, "This illness is beyond cure. The disease is above the 'huang' and below the 'gao.' Moxibustion won't work, acupuncture cannot reach it, and oral medicines will also be ineffective. This illness is truly incurable."
Upon hearing this, Duke Jing realized that the doctor's words confirmed the conversation he had dreamt of between the two children. He nodded and said, "Your medical skills are truly superb!" With that, he had someone present a generous gift to the doctor and sent him back to Qin.
Idioms Related to 病入膏肓
Synonyms of 病入膏肓
Antonyms of 病入膏肓
More idioms starting with 病
- bìng病cóng从kǒu口rù入Illness enters through the mouth
- bìng病rù入gǔ骨suí隨deeply entrenched and irremediable problem
- bìng病rù入gǔ骨suǐ髓seriously ill and beyond cure
- bìng病shì势wāng尪léi羸gravely ill and gaunt
- bìng病qù去rú如chōu抽sī丝recover quickly and thoroughly from illness
- bìng病guó国yāng殃mín民harm the nation and its people
- bìng病zài在gāo膏huāng肓beyond repair or help
- bìng病jí急luàn乱tóu投yī医desperate, try anything
- bìng病jí急luàn乱qiú求yī医desperate people do desperate things
- bìng病rǎn染gāo膏huāng肓beyond remedy or cure
- bìng病mín民hài害guó国harm the people and damage the country
- bìng病mín民gǔ蛊guó国harm people and corrupt society
Questions about 病入膏肓
- What does 病入膏肓 mean?
- 病入膏肓 (bìng rù gāo huāng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be terminally ill”.
- How do you pronounce 病入膏肓?
- 病入膏肓 is pronounced bìng rù gāo huāng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 病入膏肓 literally mean?
- Literally, 病入膏肓 means “Illness has entered the 'gao' (fat around the heart) and 'huang' (area between heart and diaphragm)”. It is used to mean “to be terminally ill”.
- Where does 病入膏肓 come from?
- 病入膏肓 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 病入膏肓?
- 膏肓：古人把心尖脂肪叫“膏”，心脏与膈膜之间叫“肓”。形容病情十分严重，无法医治。比喻事情到了无法挽救的地步。