殿堂

diàntáng

noun HSK 7-9 #17,137

Meanings

1 palace hall; grand hall
2 hall of fame; pinnacle (figurative)

Characters

palace; hall; temple

hall; main room

Palace (殿) + grand hall (堂) - literally a magnificent hall, figuratively the highest level of achievement.

Examples

HSK 3

她终于走进了音乐的殿堂。

Tā zhōngyú zǒujìn le yīnyuè de diàntáng.

She finally entered the hall of music (reached the pinnacle of music).

HSK 7-9

故宫的殿堂雄伟壮观。

Gùgōng de diàntáng xióngwěi zhuàngguān.

The palace halls of the Forbidden City are grand and magnificent.

Tips

usage

The figurative use of 殿堂 is very popular: 艺术殿堂 (hall of art), 学术殿堂 (hall of academia), 音乐殿堂 (hall of music). It means the highest, most prestigious level of a field - equivalent to 'the pantheon of' in English.

Stroke Order

殿 diàn

堂 táng