不拘小节

不拘小節

bùjū-xiǎojié

idiom #45,475

Meanings

他为人豪爽，不拘小节。

Tā wéirén háoshuǎng, bùjūxiǎojié.

He's a forthright person, not fussy about small things.

艺术家往往不拘小节。

Yìshùjiā wǎngwǎng bùjūxiǎojié.

Artists tend to be unconcerned with trivialities.

她生活上不拘小节，但工作非常严谨。

Tā shēnghuó shàng bùjūxiǎojié, dàn gōngzuò fēicháng yánjǐn.

She's easygoing in daily life but very rigorous at work.

history

From 《后汉书·虞延传》: 性敦朴，不拘小节 ('simple in nature, not bound by minor matters'). Historically a compliment to honest, big-hearted people.

usage

Generally positive, but can tip negative in formal contexts where attention to small details matters (e.g., 'careless,' 'sloppy'). Context decides.

不 bù

拘 jū

小 xiǎo

节 jié