久病成医
jiǔ bìng chéng yī
a long illness makes you half a doctor; long experience makes an expert
Character by character
久jiǔ
long
long
病bìng
ill
ill
成chéng
become
become
医yī
doctor
doctor
Example
奶奶得了二十年的高血压，久病成医，什么药什么时候吃，她比年轻医生还清楚。
Grandma has had high blood pressure for twenty years, and it has made her half a doctor: she knows better than the young doctors which pill to take when.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Said by or of people with a chronic illness, often half joking; the fuller form is 久病成良医. It can also describe anyone who has learnt a trade the hard way, but it is no reason to skip the doctor.
Learn this in Lesson 47 · HSK 5–6: 去医院看病 (Seeing a doctor)
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.
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