纯属 (chún shǔ) — to be purely, to be entirely (used formally before abstract nouns to emphasize the nature of something)

Definition

纯属 is a formal written phrase meaning 'purely / entirely', used before an abstract noun to stress that something is one thing and nothing else (纯属巧合, 纯属虚构).

verb
to be purelyto be entirely (used formally before abstract nouns to emphasize the nature of something)

Examples

  • 纯属，。
    Zhè cì shì gù chún shǔ yì wài, yǔ rén wéi cāo zuò wú guān.
    This accident was purely an accident; it has nothing to do with human operation.
  • 纯属，。
    Xiǎo shuō zhōng de rén wù hé qíng jié chún shǔ xū gòu, qǐng wù duì hào rù zuò.
    The characters and plot in the novel are purely fictional; please do not take them personally.
  • 纯属，。
    Wǒ men zhī jiān de wù huì chún shǔ qiǎo hé, nǐ bú bì fàng zài xīn shàng.
    The misunderstanding between us was pure coincidence; you don't need to worry about it.

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chúnpurely
属shǔbelong

纯 means purely and 属 means to belong or be; together they say something is purely that.

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 →

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 屬; 属 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
㞑Written in full as尾wěitail
Sound part声符shēngfú
蜀
蜀shǔ屬shǔ
Same sound today

The traditional form 屬 pairs 㞑 (tail) with 蜀 as a sound part; the simplified 属 is a shorthand.

Open 属 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.