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一概而论

一概而論
yīgài'érlùn
idiom HSK 7-9 #50,777

Meanings

  1. 1 to lump together; to generalize
  2. 2 to treat as all the same

Characters

一
yī
one; all
概
gài
general; sweeping
而
ér
and; thus
论
lùn
to discuss; to judge
Literally 'to discuss with one sweeping generalization' — treating different things as identical.

Examples

不能一概而论，每个情况不同。
Bùnéng yīgài'érlùn, měigè qíngkuàng bùtóng.
You can't generalize; every situation is different.
这两件事不能一概而论。
Zhè liǎng jiàn shì bùnéng yīgài'érlùn.
These two matters can't be lumped together.

Tips

usage
Almost always used in the negative: 不能一概而论 (can't generalize). Rarely used in the affirmative.

Stroke Order

一 yī
概 gài
而 ér
论 lùn