薰莸不同器

薰蕕不同器

xūnyóubùtóngqì

idiom

Meanings

1 fragrant herbs and foul herbs do not go in the same vessel
2 (figurative) good people and bad people cannot live together

Characters

a foul-smelling herb

vessel; container

Examples

薰莸不同器，正派人不愿和奸邪小人共事。

Xūn yóu bù tóng qì, zhèngpài rén bú yuàn hé jiānxié xiǎorén gòngshì.

Fragrant and foul herbs don't share a vessel — upright people don't want to work alongside the wicked.

他坚持薰莸不同器的原则，拒绝和那帮人合作。

Tā jiānchí xūn yóu bù tóng qì de yuánzé, jùjué hé nà bāng rén hézuò.

He stood by the principle that good and bad don't mix, and refused to work with that crowd.

Tips

history

From 《孔子家语·观思》: '薰莸不同器而藏，尧桀不共国而治，以其类异也' — 'fragrant and foul herbs are not stored in the same jar; Yao and Jie do not rule the same kingdom — because their kinds differ.' 薰 = fragrant herb; 莸 = a foul-smelling weed. Used to insist on moral separation.

Stroke Order

薰 xūn

莸 yóu

不 bù

同 tóng

器 qì