一概而论 (yī gài ér lùn) — to treat different matters alike; to lump everything together (usually used in negative constructions)
Definition
A formal idiom meaning 'to lump different things together as if they were the same.' Almost always used in negation (不能/不可∼, 'cannot be generalized').
phrase
to treat different matters aliketo lump everything together (usually used in negative constructions)
Examples
- ,一概而论。Měi gè rén de qíng kuàng bù tóng, bù néng yī gài ér lùn.Everyone's situation is different, so you can't treat them all the same.
- ,一概而论。Zhè liǎng gè wèn tí xìng zhì bù tóng, bù kě yī gài ér lùn.These two problems are of a different nature — they cannot be lumped together.
- ,,一概而论。Duì yú fù zá de xiàn xiàng, yào jù tǐ fēn xī, ér bú shì yī gài ér lùn.For complex phenomena, we need to analyze them specifically rather than treating them all the same.
Appears in
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