p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Discord

国人杀之也

國人殺之也
guórénshāzhīyě
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 it is the people of the realm who put him to death
  2. 2 the whole nation is the executioner
  3. 3 (lit.) the country's people kill him

Examples

孟子认为只有国人杀之也才算合乎民意的死刑。
Mèngzǐ rènwéi zhǐyǒu guórén shā zhī yě cái suàn héhū mínyì de sǐxíng.
Mencius held that only when the whole populace consented could an execution be said to match the people's will.
当事情到了"国人杀之也"的地步，民意已不可违。
Dāng shìqing dào le "guórén shā zhī yě" de dìbù, mínyì yǐ bù kě wéi.
When a matter reaches the point of 'the whole nation demanding his death,' popular will cannot be defied.

Tips

history
From 《孟子·梁惠王下》 (Mencius: King Hui of Liang II). Concludes Mencius's staged procedure: 『国人皆曰可杀，然后察之，见可杀焉，然后杀之，故曰国人杀之也』— 'only when the whole populace says to kill him, and you investigate and confirm, should you execute — hence it is said, the nation does the killing.' The line frames capital punishment as an act of the whole polity, not the ruler alone.
usage
也 here is the classical assertive particle (wrapping up the statement), not the modern 'also.' Rarely used outside of quoting or paraphrasing Mencius on popular sovereignty.

Stroke Order

国 guó
人 rén
杀 shā
之 zhī
也 yě