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黃袍加身

简黄袍加身 · 繁黃袍加身

Mandarin · pinyin huáng páo jiā shēn

lit. to take the yellow gown (idiom)
fig. to be made emperor
to take the crown

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Characters in this entry

黃: huáng · yellow; surname; Kangxi radical 201
袍: páo · long gown, robe, cloak
加: jiā · add to, increase, augment
身: shēn · body; trunk, hull; Kangxi radical 158
黄: huáng · yellow; surname

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–2–1–1 · huang2 pao2 jia1 shen1

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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.

黃袍加身 · find source passages ↗ · 黄袍加身 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(idiomatic) to stage a coup d'état; overthrow a government; take the throne
(idiomatic) to be crowned (as a monarch, ruler, winner, champion, etc.)

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

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