挾天子以令諸侯
简 挟天子以令诸侯 · 繁 挾天子以令諸侯Meanings
- (expr.) hold the feudal overlord and you control his vassals
Characters in this entry
- 挾
- Look up this written character
- 天
- tiān · sky, heaven; god, celestial
- 子
- zǐ · offspring, child; fruit, seed of; first earthly branch
- 以
- yǐ · by means of; thereby, therefore; consider as; in order to
- 令
- lìng · command, order; 'commandant', magistrate; allow, cause
- 諸
- Look up this written character
- 侯
- hóu · marquis, lord; target in archery
- 挟
- xié · clasp under arm; hold to bosom
- 诸
- zhū · various, all, these; surname
Explore the spelling
Mandarin tones
2–1–3–3–4–1–2 · xie2 tian1 zi3 yi3 ling4 zhu1 hou2
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
挾天子以令諸侯 · find source passages ↗ · 挟天子以令诸侯 · find source passages ↗
Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
hip6 tin1 zi2 ji5 ling6 zyu1 hau4
Cantonese word readings for 挾天子以令諸侯. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- to control the emperor to command the nobles
- (figuratively) to assume de facto control of the de jure legitimate government; to be the power behind the throne; to be the éminence grise
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack