对症下药

duì zhèng xià yào

to suit the remedy to the problem

Character by character

对duì
match

症zhèng
the symptoms

下xià
prescribe

药yào
medicine

解决问题要对症下药，先找到真正的原因。

To solve a problem, suit the remedy to it: find the real cause first.

Tone: positive (praise).

Learn this in Lesson 33 · HSK 5–6: 中医与养生 (Chinese medicine and keeping well)

A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.