duì对tozhèng症symptomxià下administeryào药medicine
To prescribe the right remedy for the illness; to suit the remedy to the case.
Literal meaning
to (对) — symptom (症) — administer (下) — medicine (药)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase.
Examples
Yào要jiě解jué决wèn问tí题，shǒu首xiān先yào要zhǎo找dào到wèn问tí题de的gēn根yuán源，rán然hòu后cái才néng能duì对zhèng症xià下yào药。
To solve a problem, you must first find the root cause of the problem, and then you can prescribe the right remedy.
Bù不tóng同de的xué学sheng生xū需yào要bù不tóng同de的jiào教xué学fāng方fǎ法，wǒ我men们yào要duì对zhèng症xià下yào药。
Different students need different teaching methods, we need to suit the remedy to the case.
Usage & nuances
Used figuratively to mean addressing a problem effectively by identifying its specific cause.
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