sin1 daan1仙丹
Jyutpingsin1 daan1
Yalesīn dāan
Definition
An elixir or a highly effective medicine.
- elixir of life, youth, or immortality
- figurativea powerful, highly effective medicine
colloquialhealth
How it's used
Refers to a metaphorical cure-all that provides an instant or miraculous recovery. While it literally refers to Taoist alchemy, it is frequently used in daily life to mock someone expecting a quick fix for a complex problem. The term carries a slightly exaggerated or humorous tone when applied to ordinary medicine.
Measure word
nap1粒nāpExamples
Do you think you'll get better just by taking a magic pill?
This medicine is like a miracle cure; I felt energetic immediately after taking it.
Related words
Common phrases
miracle cure
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe actual prescription medicine in a clinical setting, as it implies a sense of fantasy or unreality. It is strictly a figurative expression for something that works too well to be true.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
