黄袍加身

黃袍加身

huángpáo-jiāshēn

idiom

Meanings

1 to be draped in the yellow imperial robe
2 to be made emperor (often by a staged coup)
3 to seize power and take the throne

Characters

to add, to put on

Examples

HSK 7-9

赵匡胤在陈桥兵变中黄袍加身，建立了宋朝。

Zhào Kuāngyìn zài Chénqiáo bīngbiàn zhōng huángpáo-jiāshēn, jiànlì le Sòngcháo.

Zhao Kuangyin was draped in the yellow robe during the Chenqiao Mutiny and founded the Song dynasty.

HSK 7-9

他被下属推上台，有点黄袍加身的意思。

Tā bèi xiàshǔ tuī shàngtái, yǒudiǎn huángpáo-jiāshēn de yìsi.

He was pushed to the top by his subordinates - a bit of a 'yellow robe draped on him' situation.

Tips

history

In 960 CE at Chenqiao (陈桥), generals threw a yellow robe over Zhao Kuangyin while he was ostensibly asleep and hailed him emperor, founding the Song dynasty. Yellow was the imperial color; being 'robed' in it meant being made emperor.

Stroke Order

黄 huáng

袍 páo

加 jiā

身 shēn