禅让

禪讓

shànràng

verb

Meanings

1 to cede the throne to a worthy successor
2 abdication in favor of a chosen successor

Characters

to cede (the throne)

to yield; to give way

Examples

HSK 7-9

舜老了以后，把王位禅让给了禹。

Shùn lǎo le yǐhòu, bǎ wángwèi shànràng gěi le Yǔ.

When Shun grew old, he ceded the throne to Yu.

HSK 7-9

曹丕逼汉献帝把皇位禅让给自己，建立了魏国。

Cáo Pī bī Hàn Xiàndì bǎ huángwèi shànràng gěi zìjǐ, jiànlì le Wèiguó.

Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian of Han to cede the throne to him, and founded the state of Wei.

Tips

mistakes

Here 禅 reads shàn, "to hand over the throne", not chán as in 禅宗 "Zen Buddhism". The two readings are unrelated words that share one character.

history

Confucians held up the legendary handovers from 尧 to 舜 and from Shun to 禹 as the ideal: the throne went to the worthiest man, not to a son. Later usurpers staged formal abdications to make a seizure of power look legitimate, as 曹丕 did in 220.

Stroke Order

禅 chán

让 ràng