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先天不足，后天失调

xiān tiān bù zú , hòu tiān shī tiáodictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to be born with a weak constitution and suffer from ill health during one's life / (fig.) to be problematic from the start, and get even worse over time
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-c3fdf39783ecc4b2. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

先天不足，後天失調 先天不足，后天失调 [xian1 tian1 bu4 zu2 , hou4 tian1 shi1 tiao2] /to be born with a weak constitution and suffer from ill health during one's life/(fig.) to be problematic from the start, and get even worse over time/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 先天不足，後天失調

  • 先
    xiān

    beforehand; first; earlier / at first; originally / for the time being; for now / (prefix) my late (in referring to deceased relatives older than oneself)

  • 天
    tiān

    day / sky / heaven

  • 不
    bù

    no; not so / (bound form) not; un-

  • 足
    jù

    excessive

    zú

    (bound form) foot; leg / sufficient; ample / as much as; fully

  • 后
    hòu

    empress / queen / (archaic) monarch / ruler / back / behind / rear / afterwards / after / later / post-

    Hòu

    surname Hou

  • 天
    tiān

    day / sky / heaven

  • 失
    shī

    to lose / to miss / to fail

  • 调
    diào

    to transfer / to move (troops or cadres) / to investigate / to enquire into / accent / view / argument / key (in music) / mode (music) / tune / tone / melody

    tiáo

    to harmonize / to reconcile / to blend / to suit well / to adjust / to regulate / to season (food) / to provoke / to incite

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.