八旗

Bāqí

proper noun

Meanings

1 the Eight Banners, the Manchu military and household system of the Qing dynasty

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

清朝的军队分为八旗。

Qīngcháo de jūnduì fēnwéi Bāqí.

The Qing army was divided into the Eight Banners.

HSK 7-9

在清朝，八旗成员由国家供养，不能随便经商或种地。

Zài Qīngcháo, Bāqí chéngyuán yóu guójiā gōngyǎng, bù néng suíbiàn jīngshāng huò zhòngdì.

In the Qing dynasty, members of the Eight Banners were supported by the state and could not freely trade or farm.

Tips

history

Nurhaci (努尔哈赤) organized the Manchus into banners in the early 1600s, each named for its flag: plain yellow, white, red and blue, and the same four colours bordered (镶). Mongol and Han Chinese banners were added later. A banner member was a 旗人, and the robe of banner women gave its name to the 旗袍.

usage

八旗子弟, 'sons of the Eight Banners', is still said of spoiled children of privileged families who live off their parents and learn no trade.

Stroke Order

八 bā

旗 qí