换汤不换药

換湯不換藥

huàntāngbúhuànyào

idiom #46,156

Meanings

1 change the broth but not the medicine
2 a change in form but not in substance
3 old wine in new bottles

Characters

soup; decoction

Examples

HSK 5

这次改革只是换汤不换药，根本问题没有解决。

Zhècì gǎigé zhǐshì huàntāngbúhuànyào, gēnběn wèntí méiyǒu jiějué.

This reform is just old wine in new bottles - the underlying problem isn't solved.

HSK 7-9

新政策换汤不换药，大家并不买账。

Xīn zhèngcè huàntāngbúhuànyào, dàjiā bìngbù mǎizhàng.

The new policy is window-dressing - nothing has actually changed, and people aren't buying it.

Tips

memory

In traditional Chinese medicine, the 汤 is the decoction liquid and the 药 is the actual herbs. Change the broth all you like; if the medicine is the same, you've changed nothing.

Stroke Order

换 huàn

汤 tāng

不 bù

药 yào