黄帝

黃帝

Huángdì

proper noun

Meanings

1 the Yellow Emperor, legendary sovereign and mythological ancestor of the Chinese people
2 traditionally said to have reigned c. 2697–2597 BC

About Yellow Emperor

Personal name of the Yellow Emperor, 黄帝, the legendary sovereign Chinese honour as ancestor of their civilisation, as in 炎黄子孙. A ceremony for him is held every Qingming at his reputed tomb in Huangling, Shaanxi.

Also called 轩辕、轩辕黄帝

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

华人自称是黄帝的子孙。

Huárén zìchēng shì Huángdì de zǐsūn.

Chinese people call themselves the descendants of the Yellow Emperor.

HSK 7-9

《黄帝内经》是中医理论的奠基之作。

《 Huángdì Nèi jīng 》 shì Zhōngyī lǐlùn de diànjī zhī zuò.

The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon is the foundational text of traditional Chinese medicine.

Tips

culture

The 炎 in 炎黄子孙 is 炎帝, the Yan Emperor, whom he defeated at Banquan before their tribes merged. His own title is a colour: he was said to rule by the power of earth, and earth's colour is yellow.

history

Not to be confused with 皇帝 ("emperor"), same pinyin but different characters. 黄帝 specifically refers to this mythological figure; 皇帝 is the general title used from Qin Shi Huang onward.

Stroke Order

黄 huáng

帝 dì

黄帝