黃袍加身

See also: 黄袍加身

Chinese

			to add; plus	body; torso; person body; torso; person; life; status; pregnancy; (a measure word used for clothes) suit
trad. (黃袍加身)		黃袍	加	身
simp. (黄袍加身)		黄袍	加	身
Literally: “to add to oneself a yellow robe; to drape oneself with a yellow robe”.

Etymology

The idiom comes from the event in 960 when military commander Zhao Kuangyin removed child emperor Guo Zongxun from the throne and proclaimed himself a new emperor after being presented an imperial dragon robe by his subordinates.

After becoming emperor, Zhao, for fear that military figures might betray him like he betraying his emperor, invited them to a wine banquet and successfully persuaded them to retire. This happened in 961 and gave rise to another idiom, 杯酒釋兵權／杯酒释兵权 (bēi jiǔ shì bīng quán).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): huángpáojiāshēn

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄆㄠˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄕㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wong⁴ pou⁴ gaa¹ san¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: huángpáojiāshēn
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄆㄠˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄕㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: huángpáojiashen
    • Wade–Giles: huang²-pʻao²-chia¹-shên¹
    • Yale: hwáng-páu-jyā-shēn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hwangpaurjiashen
    • Palladius: хуанпаоцзяшэнь (xuanpaoczjašɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ pʰɑʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʂən⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: wong⁴ pou⁴ gaa¹ san¹
    • Yale: wòhng pòuh gā sān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wong⁴ pou⁴ gaa¹ san¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wong⁴ pou⁴ ga¹ sen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔːŋ²¹ pʰou̯²¹ kaː⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵/

Idiom

黃袍加身

1. to stage a coup d'état; overthrow a government; take the throne
2. to be crowned (as a monarch, ruler, winner, champion, etc.)