📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to major questions of right and wrong that involve fundamental principles. It describes issues of such importance that they cannot be compromised or treated casually. It is often used in contexts involving moral, political, or ideological judgment where the correct stance must be firmly upheld.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in modern Chinese literature, notably in Xu Chi's essay 'Goldbach's Conjecture' (《哥德巴赫猜想》), where he writes that page after page of history has been written, and that on major questions of right and wrong, there has finally been an impartial public verdict. The expression builds on the classical pairing of 是 (right) and 非 (wrong), intensifying both with 大 (big, major) to emphasize issues of principle. It has become a common term in modern Chinese discourse for matters requiring clear moral or ideological judgment.
💡 Example Usage
在大是大非面前，每个人都应当保持清醒的头脑。
Before major questions of right and wrong, everyone should maintain a clear head.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 大是大非
- Pinyin: dà shì dà fēi
- Literal Translation: big right, big wrong
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4