Chinese word

纯

Pronunciation

Pinyinchún

Meaning

  • adjectivepure

Example

她的笑容很纯真。tā de xiào róng hěn chún zhēn

Her smile is very pure.

Illustration for 纯 (pure)

More examples

孩子的回答听起来很纯真。hái zi de huí dá tīng qǐ lái hěn chún zhēn

The child's answer sounds very innocent.

Core concept

An unclouded quality that remains genuine and undiluted, whether it belongs to a material or to a person's feelings.

Common phrases

  • 纯真chún zhēn

    innocent

  • 保持纯真bǎo chí chún zhēn

    keep one's innocence

  • 失去纯真shī qù chún zhēn

    lose one's innocence

Similar words

单纯dān chún: Straightforward and uncomplicated in thought, with little doubt or suspicion.
天真tiān zhēn: Childlike and innocent because of limited knowledge of the world's darker side.
纯洁chún jié: Clean in heart or conduct, without moral stain or ill will.
纯粹chún cuì: Containing no added or mixed substance and keeping its essential nature.

Definition in Chinese

多用于形容人的性格，表示天真无邪、心地单纯且情感真挚；亦可指物质上不含杂质的纯净。duō yòng yú xíng róng rén de xìng gé biǎo shì tiān zhēn wú xié xīn dì dān chún qiě qíng gǎn zhēn zhì yì kě zhǐ wù zhì shàng bù hán zá zhì dì chún jìng

Word origin

纯 (chún, "pure") is formed from 纟 (sī, "silk thread"), which suggests the word's early material sense, and 屯 (tún, "phonetic element"), while its wider sense came to include an innocent nature.

Usage tips

  • When describing a person, this word can praise open, sincere behavior, but the same praise may sound like a comment on limited worldly experience in a context about trusting strangers.

Other meanings

  • innocentadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word