原封不动 (yuán fēng bù dòng)

idiom / adjective HSK 5

Traditional 原封不動

yuán fēng bù dòng

intact · untouched · in original condition · exactly as before

Meaning

This chengyu literally means 'original seal not moved.' It describes something that remains completely unchanged from its original state, as if a sealed container has never been opened. The phrase emphasizes that nothing has been altered, touched, or modified whatsoever.

Usage

Commonly used to describe objects, documents, or situations that remain in their exact original condition. Can describe physical items (packages, rooms, belongings) or abstract concepts (plans, rules, traditions). Often used when emphasizing that something should have changed but surprisingly hasn't, or when deliberately keeping something unchanged.

Examples

01
我出差两个月回来，发现房间里的东西原封不动。
Wǒ chū chāi liǎng gè yuè huí lái, fā xiàn fáng jiān lǐ de dōng xi yuán fēng bù dòng.
After returning from a two-month business trip, I found everything in the room exactly as I left it.
02
这份合同必须原封不动地交给总经理。
Zhè fèn hé tong bì xū yuán fēng bù dòng de jiāo gěi zǒng jīng lǐ.
This contract must be delivered to the general manager in its original, unaltered state.

Characters

Common collocations

原封不动地保存
yuán fēng bù dòng de bǎo cún
to preserve intact
原封不动地搬过来
yuán fēng bù dòng de bān guò lái
to move over exactly as is
保持原封不动
bǎo chí yuán fēng bù dòng
to keep unchanged

Antonyms

Origin

The phrase originates from ancient Chinese practices of sealing important documents, letters, or containers with wax or clay stamps. If the seal remained unbroken, it proved the contents had not been tampered with.