| 病入膏肓 |
bìng rù gāo huāng |
lit. the disease has attacked the vitals (idiom); fig. beyond cure / the situation is hopeless |
| 病 |
bìng |
illness / CL:场 / disease / to fall ill / defect |
| 入 |
rù |
to enter; to go into / to join; to become a member of / (bound form) to conform to (as in 入时) / abbr. for 入声 / (on product packaging, after {number n} + {classifier}) containing (n pieces) (from Japanese 入 "iri") |
| 膏 |
gāo |
ointment / paste / CL:帖 |
| 膏 |
gào |
to moisten / to grease / to apply (cream, ointment) / to dip a brush in ink |
| 肓 |
huāng |
region between heart and diaphragm |