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薰莸不同器
薰莸不同器
薰莸不同器
薰莸不同器
薰莸不同器
薰莸不同器
薰莸不同器

薰莸不同器 — “The good and the bad cannot coexist”

薰莸不同器 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “the good and the bad cannot coexist”. Virtuous individuals cannot associate with or tolerate wicked ones. Literally, “Fragrant herbs and foul-smelling herbs cannot be in the same vessel”.

Frequency

薰莸不同器 Pronunciation and Pinyin

薰莸不同器 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
薰
xūn18fragrant herb, fumigate, influence
莸
yóu10foul-smelling Clerodendrum shrub
不
bù4not
同
tóng6same, together, with
器
qì16tool, utensil, or organ

Example Sentence with 薰莸不同器

那些坚持原则,品德高尚的人,与投机取巧、心术不正之徒,自然是薰莸不同器,道不相谋的。
Those who uphold principles and possess noble character naturally cannot associate with opportunists and schemers; they are like fragrant and foul herbs that cannot be kept in the same vessel.

Origin and Story of 薰莸不同器

During the Jin Dynasty, when Prime Minister Wang Dao first arrived in Jiangnan, he wished to make connections with local people.

He proposed forming a marriage alliance between his children and those of Grand Commandant Ruan Wan.

Ruan Wan replied, "Small mounds cannot grow large trees like pines and cypresses, just as fragrant herbs and foul-smelling herbs cannot be placed in the same vessel. Though I lack great talent, I cannot be the one to lead in disrupting proper human relations."

Idioms Related to 薰莸不同器

Synonyms of 薰莸不同器

  • xūn薰yóu莸yì异qì器Good and evil cannot coexist

Antonyms of 薰莸不同器

  • xūn薰yóu莸tóng同qì器good and bad intermingled
  • yú鱼lóng龙hùn混zá杂a mixed bag of good and bad

More idioms starting with 薰

  • xūn薰tiān天hè赫dì地overwhelmingly powerful and influential
  • xūn薰yóu莸wú无biàn辨unable to distinguish good from bad
  • xūn薰yóu莸cuò错zá杂good and bad intermingled
  • xūn薰fēng风jiě解yùn愠gentle breeze dispels vexation
  • xūn薰xiāng香zì自shāo烧Talent brings misfortune

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Questions about 薰莸不同器

What does 薰莸不同器 mean?

薰莸不同器 (xūn yóu bù tóng qì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “the good and the bad cannot coexist”.

How do you pronounce 薰莸不同器?

薰莸不同器 is pronounced xūn yóu bù tóng qì in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 薰莸不同器 literally mean?

Literally, 薰莸不同器 means “Fragrant herbs and foul-smelling herbs cannot be in the same vessel”. It is used to mean “the good and the bad cannot coexist”.

Where does 薰莸不同器 come from?

薰莸不同器 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 薰莸不同器?

薰:香草,比喻善类;莸:臭草,比喻恶物。香草和臭草不可以放在一个器物里。比喻好和坏不能共处。

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