4 characters Idiom and proverb 16 141

Chinese education begins with characters, continues with phrases, and grows into idioms. This free lesson covers the idiom 「病在膏肓」. Learn its usage below.

Our focus this time is on the idiom 「病在膏肓」. You’ll find its definition and examples below.

It is a metaphor for things being at a point where they cannot be salvaged. Same as “terminally ill”.

The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :

bìng zài gāo huāng

while its Cantonese pinyin is :

beng6 joi6 gou1 fong1

The world of Chinese idioms is immense, with countless meanings and applications to discover. We hope these resources help you unlock the beauty of learning Chinese.