📖 Meaning
Describes something that is purely uniform and singular in nature, without any admixture or impurity. It conveys the idea of absolute purity, singleness of purpose, or unmixed quality in character, composition, or intent.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom appears in Lu Xun's (鲁迅) essay "Draft of an Untitled Essay" (《题未定草》), written in the early 20th century. Lu Xun, one of modern China's greatest writers, used it to critique the idealization of the Donglin Party (东林党), a Ming Dynasty faction of Confucian scholar-officials. He pointed out that even this revered group contained villains, and there has never been, throughout all of history, a group of gentlemen that was '纯一不杂' — purely uniform and untainted. The phrase thus entered the language as a way to describe any person, group, or thing that is utterly pure and unmixed, though often with the ironic implication that such purity is rarely found in reality.
💡 Example Usage
他对艺术的追求纯一不杂，从不掺杂任何功利目的。
His pursuit of art is pure and unmixed, never tainted by any utilitarian motives.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 纯一不杂
- Pinyin: chún yī bù zá
- Literal Translation: pure, one, not, mixed
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4