揚湯止沸，不如去薪

See also: 扬汤止沸，不如去薪

Chinese

		try to stop water from boiling by scooping it up from the pot and pouring it back; to implement temporary solutions that do not address the root of the problem		to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as; cannot compare to; to be inferior to	to go; to leave; to remove	fuel; salary
trad. (揚湯止沸，不如去薪)		揚湯止沸	，	不如	去	薪
simp. (扬汤止沸，不如去薪)		扬汤止沸	，	不如	去	薪
Literally: “Lifting the soup to stop it from boiling is less effective than taking away the firewood.”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yángtāngzhǐfèi, bùrú qù xīn

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄤˊ ㄊㄤ ㄓˇ ㄈㄟˋ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄑㄩˋ ㄒㄧㄣ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yángtāngzhǐfèi, bùrú qù xīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄤˊ ㄊㄤ ㄓˇ ㄈㄟˋ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄑㄩˋ ㄒㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yángtangjhǐhfèi, bùrú cyù sin
    • Wade–Giles: yang²-tʻang¹-chih³-fei⁴, pu⁴-ju² chʻü⁴ hsin¹
    • Yale: yáng-tāng-jř-fèi-, bù-rú chyù syīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yangtangjyyfey, buru chiuh shin
    • Palladius: янтанчжифэй, бужу цюй синь (jantančžifɛj, bužu cjuj sinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɑŋ³⁵ tʰɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ feɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ t͡ɕʰy⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

Proverb

揚湯止沸，不如去薪

1. It is better to solve the root problem, rather than treating the symptoms.

   • 臣聞揚湯止沸，不如去薪；潰癰雖痛，勝於養毒。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     臣闻扬汤止沸，不如去薪；溃痈虽痛，胜于养毒。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE

     Chén wén yángtāngzhǐfèi, bùrúqùxīn; kuì yōng suī tòng, shèng yú yǎng dú. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

References

• “Entry #157442”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.