







国人皆曰可杀 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “So utterly detested and his crimes so grave that everyone believes he deserves to be put to death; universally condemned”. Literally, “All the people say he can be killed”.
During the Warring States period, Mencius engaged in a discussion with King Xuan of Qi concerning the selection of talented individuals. Mencius advocated that a ruler should prioritize a person's ability and virtue when selecting talent, rather than their social status or personal connections. Regarding matters of dismissal or severe punishment, Mencius advised that the opinions of the common people should be sought. He argued that if the people of the land collectively agreed that a person's crimes were so severe that they deserved to be executed, then such a punishment should be carried out.
This story highlights the importance of public sentiment and collective judgment in matters of justice and severe condemnation.

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Open the tool →国人皆曰可杀 (guó rén jiē yuē kě shā) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “So utterly detested and his crimes so grave that everyone believes he deserves to be put to death; universally condemned”.
国人皆曰可杀 is pronounced guó rén jiē yuē kě shā in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 国人皆曰可杀 means “All the people say he can be killed”. It is used to mean “So utterly detested and his crimes so grave that everyone believes he deserves to be put to death; universally condemned”.
国人皆曰可杀 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
皆:都;可:能。罪大恶极,全国人民都说他该杀