換湯不換藥 huàn tāng bù huàn yào

a change in form but not in substance

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. a change in form but not in substance
  2. 2. different broth but the same old medicine (idiom); a change in name only

Characters

Character Meaning
換 huàn
to change (clothes etc); to exchange; to switch
湯 tāng
soup; hot or boiling water
不 bù HSK 1
not; no; (negative prefix)
換 huàn
to change (clothes etc); to exchange; to switch
藥 yào
medicine; drug