Chinese word

不可救药

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù kě jiù yào

Meaning

  • adjectivehopeless

Example

他的坏习惯真不可救药。tā de huài xí guàn zhēn bù kě jiù yào

His bad habit is really hopeless.

Illustration for 不可救药 (hopeless)

More examples

他的病情已经不可救药，医生也很无奈。tā de bìng qíng yǐ jīng bù kě jiù yào yī shēng yě hěn wú nài

His condition is already incurable, and the doctor is helpless.

Core concept

A condition seems beyond any remedy, so recovery or improvement no longer appears possible.

Common phrases

  • 病情不可救药bìng qíng bù kě jiù yào

    incurable condition

  • 问题不可救药wèn tí bù kě jiù yào

    hopeless problem

  • 坏习惯不可救药huài xí guàn bù kě jiù yào

    hopeless bad habit

Similar words

没救méi jiù: Describes someone or something that seems impossible to save, repair, or improve.
无可救药wú kě jiù yào: Describes a condition that no medicine or other treatment can cure.
无望wú wàng: Describes a person or situation with no reasonable prospect of success or recovery.

Definition in Chinese

形容问题严重、无可挽回，常用于评价人的习惯、性格或无法治愈的疾病。xíng róng wèn tí yán zhòng wú ké wǎn huí cháng yòng yú píng jià rén de xí guàn xìng gé huò wú fǎ zhì yù de jí bìng

Word origin

The idiom is built from 不 (bù, "not") + 可 (kě, "can") + 救 (jiù, "save") + 药 (yào, "medicine"), presenting an illness that medicine cannot save and extending that image to habits or character.

Usage tips

  • Applied to a person, it can sound like a final verdict, making it stronger than a casual complaint about a small mistake.

Other meanings

  • incurableadjective

Opposites

  • 可挽回ké wǎn huírecoverableadjective
  • 有救yǒu jiùsalvageableadjective

Word lists with this word