秦始皇

Mandarin · pinyin Qín Shǐ huáng

Meanings

  1. Qin Shihuang (259-210 BC), the first emperor
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Characters in this entry

秦
qín · feudal state of Qin; the Qin dynasty (from which the name 'China' comes)
始
shǐ · begin, start; then, only then
皇
huáng · royal, imperial; ruler, superior
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–3–2 · Qin2 Shi3 huang2

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ceon4 ci2 wong4

Cantonese word readings for 秦始皇. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

name

  1. (historical) Qin Shi Huang (the first emperor of China)

noun

  1. (Wu) alternative form of 情書王 /情书王 (“expert in writing love letters”)

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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