不拘一格

Pronunciation: bù jū yī gé Literal meaning: Not restricted to one standard

Origin & Usage

The idiom 不拘一格 (bù jū yī gé) originates from a poem by Gong Zizhen, a prominent thinker and poet of the Qing Dynasty. In his poem 《己亥杂诗》, Gong Zizhen expressed his desire for a society that embraces diverse talents without being constrained by rigid standards. The phrase 不拘一格 (不, not; 拘, restrict; 一, one; 格, standard) suggests the importance of breaking away from conventional norms to allow for the emergence of unique and varied talents. In modern usage, this idiom is often employed to encourage open-mindedness and flexibility in recognizing and nurturing talent, advocating for innovation and diversity in approaches.

Examples

English: "Her innovative approach to solving problems showed that creativity knows no bounds."

Chinese: 她创新的解决问题的方法表明，创造力不拘一格。