一棍子打死

yígùnzidǎsǐ

idiom

Meanings

1 to finish off with a single blow of the stick
2 to totally reject or condemn over one flaw
3 to write something off wholesale

Characters

to hit, to strike

Examples

HSK 5

评价一部作品要全面，不能一棍子打死。

Píngjià yí bù zuòpǐn yào quánmiàn, bùnéng yígùnzidǎsǐ.

A work should be evaluated comprehensively. You can't dismiss it with one stroke.

HSK 6

对于年轻人的创意，不要一棍子打死，要给他们机会。

Duìyú niánqīngrén de chuàngyì, búyào yígùnzidǎsǐ, yào gěi tāmen jīhuì.

Don't dismiss young people's ideas wholesale. Give them a chance.

HSK 7-9

他犯了一次错，不能就此一棍子打死。

Tā fàn le yí cì cuò, bùnéng jiùcǐ yígùnzidǎsǐ.

He made one mistake. You can't write him off completely because of it.

Tips

usage

Colloquial and vivid. Typically used in the negative: 不能一棍子打死, 不要一棍子打死, arguing against overreaction to a single flaw. Common in management, criticism, education.

memory

Picture one 棍子 (stick/club) swinging down to finish the argument. Overkill, hence the negative usage warning against it.

Stroke Order

一 yī

棍 gùn

子 zǐ

打 dǎ

死 sǐ