悬壶济世
xuán hú jì shì
to practise medicine for the good of the people
Character by character
悬xuán
hang
hang
壶hú
gourd
gourd
济jì
aid
aid
世shì
world
world
Example
他爷爷在小镇上悬壶济世五十年，镇上没有人不认识他。
His grandfather practised medicine in the little town for fifty years, and there was no one in the town who did not know him.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
From the story of an old man in the 后汉书 who sold medicine with a gourd hung at his stall: the gourd (壶, a vessel for remedies) became the sign of a doctor. A respectful phrase for doctors, often seen on plaques in clinics of Chinese medicine.
Learn this in Lesson 101 · HSK 6–7: 月球上的中国名字 (Chinese names on the Moon)
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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