黄袍加身

黃袍加身

huángpáojiāshēn

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

赵匡胤在陈桥兵变中黄袍加身，建立了宋朝。

Zhào Kuāngyìn zài Chénqiáo bīngbiàn zhōng huángpáojiāshēn, jiànlì le Sòng cháo.

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

他被下属推上台，有点黄袍加身的意思。

Tā bèi xiàshǔ tuī shàng tái, yǒudiǎn huángpáojiāshēn de yìsi.

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

Tips

history

From 《宋史·太祖本纪》. 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 = being made emperor.

Stroke Order

黄 huáng

袍 páo

加 jiā

身 shēn