平心而论

平心而論

píngxīn'érlùn

idiom #38,651

Meanings

1 in all fairness
2 objectively speaking
3 to be fair about it

Characters

calm; level; even

and; and then (classical connector)

to discuss; to judge

Examples

平心而论，他这次的表现已经很不错了。

Píngxīn'érlùn, tā zhè cì de biǎoxiàn yǐjīng hěn bùcuò le.

In all fairness, his performance this time was already quite good.

平心而论，这部电影虽然票房一般，但剧本写得很扎实。

Píngxīn'érlùn, zhè bù diànyǐng suīrán piàofáng yībān, dàn jùběn xiě de hěn zhāshi.

To be fair, although this film's box office was mediocre, the script is solidly written.

Tips

history

Attested in Qing scholar Ji Yun's 《阅微草堂笔记·滦阳消夏录》: '平心而论，王弼始变旧说...' — used when offering an evaluation free of bias or emotion.

usage

Almost always appears sentence-initial as a hedge before stating a balanced view, often slightly defending someone or something that has been criticized.

Stroke Order

平 píng

心 xīn

而 ér

论 lùn