不拘小节 — “To be unconventional in small matters”
不拘小节 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be unconventional in small matters”. Not to be punctilious about minor details; to disregard minor details. Literally, “Not bound by small details”.
不拘小节 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 不bù
- 拘jū
- 小xiǎo
- 节jié
不拘小节 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 不拘小节
Origin and Story of 不拘小节
During the late Western Han Dynasty, Yu Yan, a pavilion chief in Donghun, was known for his disregard for minor details in his daily life. However, he was resolute in upholding justice. He once imprisoned the powerful and wicked relatives of Wang Mang's favored concubine, Wei, for their misdeeds.
Later, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, he served under the mayor of Fuzong. He fearlessly admonished the corrupt mayor, earning deep appreciation from the emperor.
Subsequently, he was appointed as an official in Luoyang. There, his unwavering commitment to enforcing the law offended the powerful Yin clan, who were relatives of the emperor. Consequently, he was tragically forced to commit suicide.
Idioms Related to 不拘小节
Synonyms of 不拘小节
More idioms starting with 不
- bù不yī一ér而zú足numerous and varied, impossible to list all
- bù不sān三bù不sì四improper or disreputable
- bù不shàng上bù不xià下stuck in an awkward position
- bù不shàng上bù不luò落in an awkward or embarrassing situation
- bù不shì世zhī之yè业unparalleled achievements
- bù不shì世zhī之chóu仇unrivaled enmity
- bù不shì世zhī之gōng功unparalleled achievement
- bù不shì世zhī之lüè略unparalleled strategy
- bù不sàng丧bǐ匕chàng鬯peace and order, rituals undisturbed
- bù不fēng丰bù不jiǎn俭neither extravagant nor frugal
- bù不fēng丰bù不shā杀neither extravagant nor frugal
- bù不wèi为wǔ五dǒu斗mǐ米zhé折yāo腰Refuse to compromise integrity for meager gain
Questions about 不拘小节
- What does 不拘小节 mean?
- 不拘小节 (bù jū xiǎo jié) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be unconventional in small matters”.
- How do you pronounce 不拘小节?
- 不拘小节 is pronounced bù jū xiǎo jié in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 不拘小节 literally mean?
- Literally, 不拘小节 means “not bound by small details”. It is used to mean “to be unconventional in small matters”.
- Where does 不拘小节 come from?
- 不拘小节 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 不拘小节?
- 拘：拘泥。不为小事所约束。多指不注意生活小事。