大杖则走 — “To flee when one's father beats with a heavy stick”

大杖则走 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to flee when one's father beats with a heavy stick”. So as to avoid causing the father to commit a grave wrong (e.g., severe injury or death), thereby upholding filial piety in a practical way, a principle stemming from ancient teachings about the sage Shun. Literally, “Flee when beaten with a heavy stick”.

Frequency

大杖则走 Pronunciation and Pinyin

大杖则走 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
大	dà	3	large, big, great
杖	zhàng	7	walking stick or staff
则	zé	6	then, in that case
走	zǒu	7	walk, go, leave, move

Example Sentence with 大杖则走

面对长辈的严厉责备，他选择了“大杖则走”，暂时避开，等大家都冷静下来再沟通

When faced with severe criticism from his elders, he chose to 'flee when beaten with a heavy stick,' temporarily avoiding the confrontation until everyone had calmed down for better communication.

Origin and Story of 大杖则走

During the Spring and Autumn period, Zeng Shen (曾参) was severely beaten by his father for a mistake in planting melons. He was rendered unconscious by the beating, but upon waking, he feigned happiness.

When Confucius heard of this incident, he was deeply angered and even considered disowning Zeng Shen as his disciple.

Confucius explained that the ancient sage Shun, whenever his father administered a severe beating with a large stick ('大杖则走'), would always flee to avoid it. By doing so, Shun prevented his father from committing a grave wrong (such as causing serious injury or death to his son), thereby subtly preserving his father's moral integrity while still demonstrating filial piety.

Confucius criticized Zeng Shen, stating that by passively enduring such a severe beating, Zeng Shen inadvertently put his father in a morally unjust position.