How to Cure a Zombie Villager in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Hit a zombie villager with a splash potion of Weakness, then right-click it with a regular golden apple (not enchanted). It shudders, gains Strength, and turns back into a villager after 3-5 minutes. Cured villagers give you permanent trading discounts - this is how players get one-emerald trades.

What you need

Splash potion of Weakness (fermented spider eye + water bottle + gunpowder)
Golden apple (8 gold ingots + 1 apple) - NOT the enchanted one
Boat, minecart or a secure cell
Optional: iron bars and beds to speed up the cure

Step by step

Find a zombie villager. 5% of natural zombie spawns are zombie villagers (in Bedrock they appear in groups of 2-4), and any zombie that kills a villager can convert it - 100% on Hard, 50% on Normal, 0% on Easy.
Trap it safely. Lure it into a boat, minecart or a small dark cell before starting. Curing takes minutes and the mob keeps attacking you the whole time - plus it burns in daylight like any zombie.
Brew Weakness. A splash potion of Weakness needs only a fermented spider eye brewed into a water bottle (gunpowder to make it splash) - no Nether wart required, so it works from day one.
Craft a golden apple. 8 gold ingots around a regular apple. The enchanted golden apple does NOT work for curing - it must be the plain one.
Apply both. Splash the Weakness (gray particles), then use the golden apple on it. It starts shuddering and gains Strength - it hits HARDER while curing, so keep your distance or keep it boxed in.
Wait 3-5 minutes. The cure timer is 3 to 5 minutes at random. Surrounding it with iron bars and beds (within a 9x9x9 cube) speeds it up slightly - about 4% faster with 14 or more.
Collect your villager. It transforms with a brief Nausea effect. If it had a profession before zombification, it keeps it; if it had ever traded, it keeps its exact trades too.
Trade at a discount. Your cured villager gives you permanent major discounts; nearby villagers give smaller ones. Re-curing the same villager does not stack further discounts - one cure each.

Java vs Bedrock

Curing works the same in Java and Bedrock, with small differences: Bedrock cured nitwits become employable (Java nitwits stay nitwits), and in Bedrock nearby villagers within 16 blocks also give small discounts scaling with up to 10 cured villagers. Both editions grant the permanent personal discount. On Java, cured villagers give deep gossip-based discounts that stack when you cure the same villager again (up to 5 times) and spread to nearby villagers.

Versions: Curing has existed since zombie villagers arrived in 1.4.2 (2012), with the Weakness-plus-golden-apple recipe unchanged since. The iron bars and bed speed boost is an intentional nod to the classic "zombie doctor" setup, and the permanent discount system arrived with 1.14's gossip mechanics.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the golden apple not working on the zombie villager?

Two usual causes: it is the enchanted (Notch) apple - only the plain golden apple cures - or the zombie villager does not have the Weakness effect active. Splash Weakness first, watch for the gray swirl particles, then use the apple.

Does curing give discounts in both editions?

Yes. The curing player gets a permanent major discount in Java and Bedrock. Bedrock additionally spreads small discounts to nearby villagers (scaling up to 10 cured villagers), while Java shares reputation through gossip. Re-curing the same villager adds nothing.

How do I get a zombie villager to convert my librarian?

Trap the librarian with the zombie in a confined space on Hard difficulty - conversion is guaranteed there (50% on Normal, never on Easy). Then cure the result. This "zombify and cure" loop is the standard way to discount an entire trading hall.