盖棺论定 gài guān lùn dìng To judge only after death

Explanation

盖棺论定，指人死后对其一生作出评价。常用于对某人一生的评价和总结，也用于指事情经过很长时间以后才能做出最终结论。

It means to make a final judgment on someone's life after his death. It's often used when evaluating someone's whole life or when a conclusion can only be made after a long time.

Origin Story

春秋时期，吴王阖闾在与楚国作战时受了重伤，不久便去世了。阖闾临终前，对太子光嘱咐道：夫吴国之兴起，全赖于伍子胥，但子胥为人刚直，得罪了不少人。待我死后，你们一定要善待他。阖闾死后，太子光继位，但他却听信了谗言，将伍子胥赐死了。伍子胥临死前说：“我死后，必将与吴王阖闾同葬！”后来，吴王阖闾死后，伍子胥也被迫自尽。此事，便是后世“盖棺论定”的由来。吴王阖闾对伍子胥的评价，只有在他死后，才能最终确定。

chūnqiū shíqī, wú wáng hé lǘ zài yǔ chǔ guó zuòzhàn shí shòule chóngshāng, bùjiǔ biàn qùshì le. hé lǘ línzhōng qián, duì tàizǐ guāng zhǔfù dào: fū wú guó zhī xǐng qǐ, quán lài yú wǔ zǐ xū, dàn zǐ xū wéirén gāngzhí, dézuì le bùshǎo rén. dài wǒ sǐ hòu, nǐmen yīdìng yào shàndài tā. hé lǘ sǐ hòu, tàizǐ guāng jìwèi, dàn tā què tīngxìn le chányán, jiāng wǔ zǐ xū cì sǐ le. wǔ zǐ xū lín sǐ qián shuō:“wǒ sǐ hòu, bì jiāng yǔ wú wáng hé lǘ tóngzàng!” hòulái, wú wáng hé lǘ sǐ hòu, wǔ zǐ xū yě bèipò zìjìn. cǐ shì, biàn shì hòushì“gài guān lùndìng” de yóulái. wú wáng hé lǘ duì wǔ zǐ xū de píngjià, zhǐyǒu zài tā sǐ hòu, cáinéng zuìzhōng quèdìng.

During the Spring and Autumn period, King Helü of Wu was seriously injured in a battle with Chu and soon passed away. Before his death, King Helü instructed his successor, Prince Guang, to treat Wu Zixu well. However, Guang listened to malicious rumors and had Wu Zixu executed. This is the origin of the idiom "Gài guān lùn dìng". Only after the death of King Helü could the true evaluation of Wu Zixu be determined.

Usage

盖棺论定通常用来形容对一个人一生的评价，或者对某件事情的最终结论。它强调的是时间和事实的重要性，只有经过时间的考验，才能做出最终的判断。

gài guān lùn dìng tōngcháng yòng lái xíngróng duì yīgè rén yīshēng de píngjià, huòzhě duì mǒu jiàn shìqíng de zuìzhōng jiélùn. tā qiángdiào de shì shíjiān hé shìshí de zhòngyào xìng, zhǐyǒu jīngguò shíjiān de kǎoyàn, cáinéng zuò chū zuìzhōng de pànduàn.

"Gài guān lùn dìng" is commonly used to describe the evaluation of a person's life or the final conclusion of a matter. It emphasizes the importance of time and facts. Only after the test of time can a final judgment be made.

Examples

• 他的功过是非，只有等到盖棺论定之日才能做出评价。

  tā de gōngguò shìfēi, zhǐyǒu děngdào gàiguān lùndìng zhī rì cáinéng zuò chū píngjià.

  His merits and demerits can only be evaluated when he is dead.

• 这件事现在还不能下结论，要等到盖棺论定的时候再说吧。

  zhè jiàn shì xiànzài hái bù néng xià jiélùn, yào děngdào gàiguān lùndìng de shíhòu zàishuō ba

  We cannot conclude this matter now; we have to wait until the final decision is made.

Related Idioms

• 盖棺定论

• 寿终正寝

Opposite Idioms

• 悬而未决

• 未定之天