殿

diàn
noun #13,825

Measure Word

殿 zuò

Meanings

  1. 1 palace hall; temple; grand hall

Examples

HSK 6
Zhè zuò diàn jiàn yú Míngcháo.
This hall was built during the Ming Dynasty.
HSK 7-9
Gùgōng lǐ yǒu hěnduō dàdiàn.
There are many grand halls in the Forbidden City.

Tips

culture
殿 typically refers to grand ceremonial or imperial halls. The most famous is 太和殿 (Hall of Supreme Harmony) in the Forbidden City.

Components

radical
shū
weapon; pole-axe (radical)
Right side - a hand wielding a long-handled weapon, the indexing radical. Suggests guards posted at the great hall; combined with the roofed ritual scene on the left, the whole character pictures the throne room secured by armed retainers.
semantic
shī
corpse; body; building
Top-left - originally a seated figure, here standing in for a roofed structure (the same architectural sense seen in , , ). Anchors 殿 in the family of dwellings and large buildings.
semantic
gòng
together; share
Lower-left - two hands raising an offering. Inside the roof it pictures formal ritual being conducted indoors, the ceremonial weight that pushed 殿 toward 'grand hall / palace audience chamber' rather than ordinary house.

Stroke Order

殿 diàn