Definition
治病救人 is a four-character set phrase (成语) meaning 'to cure the sickness and save the patient'. It is used both literally in medical contexts and figuratively to describe correcting someone's mistakes or shortcomings in order to help them improve. The phrase often carries a moral or educational tone, especially in political or organizational discourse.
v.p.
to cure the sickness and save the patient (literal medical sense)to help someone correct their mistakes and improve (figurative, often in a moral or educational context)
Examples
- 治病救人。Yīshēng de tiānzhí jiù shì zhì bìng jiù rén.A doctor's duty is to cure the sickness and save the patient.
- 治病救人,。Pīpíng de mùdì shì zhì bìng jiù rén, ér bú shì dǎjī rén.The purpose of criticism is to help correct mistakes, not to attack people.
- 治病救人。Wǒmen yào běnzhe zhì bìng jiù rén de tàidù bāngzhù tā gǎizhèng cuòwù.We should help him correct his mistakes with the attitude of curing the sickness and saving the patient.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.