纯文学 (chún wén xué) — pure literature; literary works valued for artistic quality rather than commercial or political purposes

Definition

Literary fiction valued for artistic merit rather than mass appeal, as opposed to 通俗文学 (popular fiction). Often implies serious, often experimental writing.

noun
pure literatureliterary works valued for artistic quality rather than commercial or political purposes

Examples

  • 纯文学，。
    Tā yì shēng dōu zài zhuī qiú chún wén xué, cóng bù xiě tōng sú xiǎo shuō.
    He spent his whole life pursuing pure literature and never wrote popular fiction.
  • 纯文学。
    chún wén xué Hé tōng sú wén xué de qū bié zài yú yì shù zhuī qiú.
    The difference between pure literature and popular literature lies in artistic pursuit.
  • 纯文学。
    Zhè wèi zuò jiā bèi rèn wéi shì dāng dài chún wén xué de dài biǎo rén wù.
    This writer is considered a representative figure of contemporary pure literature.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

纯chúnpure
文学literature
文wénwriting学xuéstudy
偏正Modifier + head

纯 marks purity, and 文学 names the literary works being described.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 純; 纯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìthread
Sound part声符shēngfú
屯
屯tún純chún
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 純 pairs 糸 (thread) with 屯 as a sound part; the simplified 纯 is not the form described.

Open 纯 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

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