药石无灵
yào shí wú líng
beyond the help of any medicine; past cure
Character by character
药yào
medicine
medicine
石shí
stone needles
stone needles
无wú
no
no
灵líng
effect
effect
Example
老先生病重住院半年，终因药石无灵，于上月安详离世。
The old gentleman was gravely ill in hospital for six months; in the end no treatment could save him, and he passed away peacefully last month.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
石 is 砭石, the stone needles of ancient acupuncture. Formal and solemn: at home in obituaries and death notices (经全力抢救，终因药石无灵), and used by doctors of a case past all treatment; also 药石罔效. Not something to say to a family as a prognosis.
Learn this in Lesson 155 · HSK 7–9: 吊瓶大国 (A nation of IV drips)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
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