CHENGYU
一尘不染(yī chén bù rǎn)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral, approving
- Source:
- 宋·张耒《腊月小雪后圃梅开》
MEANING
- Literal
- not stained by a single speck of dust
- Figurative meaning
- spotlessly clean; pure and uncorrupted
ORIGIN STORY
From a Buddhist scripture: the wind may grind a mountain to dust, yet "not one speck settles on the Buddha". A Song poem applied the image to plum blossoms: "Unstained by a single mote, their fragrance reaches the bone."
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“spotless; above reproach”
EXAMPLES
房间被她打扫得一尘不染。Fángjiān bèi tā dǎsǎo de yī chén bù rǎn.HSK6
She cleaned the room until not a speck of dust remained.
他当了十年官，依然一尘不染。Tā dāng le shí nián guān, yīrán yī chén bù rǎn.HSK6
After ten years in office he remains untouched by a single speck of corruption.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: Used of cleanliness, but also of moral purity — never of being quiet or colorless.
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01