惩一儆百 — “To punish one individual as a warning to many others”

惩一儆百 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to punish one individual as a warning to many others”. To make an example of someone. Literally, “Punish one to warn a hundred”.

Frequency

惩一儆百 Pronunciation and Pinyin

惩一儆百 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
惩	chéng	12	to punish or admonish
一	yī	1	one, a, single, whole
儆	jǐng	14	warn, admonish, deter
百	bǎi	6	one hundred, numerous

Example Sentence with 惩一儆百

为了确保大家遵守规定，经理决定对迟到的员工进行处罚，以惩一儆百

To ensure everyone follows the rules, the manager decided to penalize the late employee, making an example out of him to deter others.

Origin and Story of 惩一儆百

During the Western Han Dynasty, Tian Yulian, the governor of Hedong, was on an inspection tour when he discovered that Yin Wengui, a market official in Pingyang (the hometown of Huo Guang), was a truly remarkable talent. Tian Yulian then petitioned the emperor to appoint Yin Wengui as the governor of Donghai.

Donghai was a region notorious for rampant banditry. Upon taking office, Yin Wengui resolved to implement a strategy of punishing one to warn a hundred. He promptly arrested and executed Xu Zhongsun, a powerful local figure who was involved in illicit activities. Following this decisive action, peace and order were restored throughout Donghai.