final judgment after death; ultimate appraisal
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
final judgment can only be made after one's death; ultimate appraisal of a person's merits and faults
formalImplies that a person's life and contributions should be evaluated in their entirety, and a definitive conclusion can only be reached after their life has ended. Often used to discuss historical figures or the legacy of a person.
Duì对
yú于
zhè这
wèi位
lì历
shǐ史
rén人
wù物
，
kǒng恐
pà怕
yào要
gài盖
guān棺
lùn论
dìng定
了
。
For this historical figure, I'm afraid we'll have to wait until after his death for a final judgment.
Tā他
de的
gōng功
guò过
shì是
fēi非
，
xiàn现
zài在
hái还
wéi为
shí时
guò过
zǎo早
，
gài盖
guān棺
lùn论
dìng定
zì自
yǒu有
hòu后
rén人
píng评
shuō说
。
It's still too early to judge his merits and faults; a final verdict will be left for future generations to make after his death.
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Gǔ古
rén人
yún云
“
gài盖
guān棺
lùn论
dìng定
”
，
yī一
gè个
rén人
de的
yī一
shēng生
xū需
yào要
wán完
zhěng整
de地
kàn看
dài待
。
As the ancients said, 'final judgment comes after the coffin is closed'; a person's entire life must be viewed as a whole.