HSK · Level 67
75 words
Chinese word
偏方
Pronunciation
Pinyinpiān fāng
Meaning
- nounfolk remedy
Example
医生说不要盲目相信偏方。yī shēng shuō bú yào máng mù xiāng xìn piān fāng
The doctor said not to blindly trust folk remedies.
More examples
很多人遇到小病时会先尝试偏方。hěn duō rén yù dào xiǎo bìng shí huì xiān cháng shì piān fāng
Many people first try folk remedies when they have a minor illness.
Core concept
A local or traditional cure whose authority comes from experience and custom instead of scientific testing.
Common phrases
民间偏方mín jiān piān fāng
folk remedy
祖传偏方zǔ chuán piān fāng
family remedy
采纳偏方cǎi nà piān fāng
adopt a folk remedy
Similar words
民间疗法mín jiān liáo fǎ: A folk treatment handed down through community customs and experience.
秘方mì fāng: A private traditional method or medicine formula for treating illness.
Definition in Chinese
民间流传的、以经验或地方疗法为基础的治疗法或秘方，通常缺乏科学验证。mín jiān liú chuán de yǐ jīng yàn huò dì fāng liáo fǎ wèi jī chǔ de zhì liáo fǎ huò mì fāng tōng cháng quē fá kē xué yàn zhèng
Word origin
偏 (piān, "one-sided") + 方 (fāng, "remedy") suggests a treatment belonging to a particular local tradition rather than to established medical practice.
Usage tips
- When someone recommends a 偏方 (piānfāng, "folk remedy"), the word identifies the treatment's informal status rather than confirming its safety or effectiveness.
Other meanings
- folk medicinenoun
Opposites
- 正规治疗zhèng guī zhì liáoconventional treatmentnoun
- 科学治疗kē xué zhì liáoscientific treatmentnoun