傾國

Chinese

		to overturn; to collapse; to lean to overturn; to collapse; to lean; to tend; to incline; to pour out	country; state; nation
trad. (傾國)		傾	國
simp. (倾国)		倾	国

Etymology

For the figurative senses, see 傾國傾城／倾国倾城 (qīngguóqīngchéng).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qīngguó

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): king¹ gwok³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qīngguó
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cingguó
    • Wade–Giles: chʻing¹-kuo²
    • Yale: chīng-gwó
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chinggwo
    • Palladius: цинго (cingo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: king¹ gwok³
    • Yale: kīng gwok
    • Cantonese Pinyin: king¹ gwok⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: king¹ guog³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɪŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/

Verb

傾國

1. (literary) to make a nation collapse; (of a nation) to be destroyed; to collapse

Derived terms

• 傾國傾城／倾国倾城 (qīngguóqīngchéng)
• 傾城傾國／倾城倾国 (qīngchéngqīngguó)

 

Adjective

傾國

1. (literary, figurative, of a woman) drop-dead gorgeous; extremely beautiful (and having the potential of bringing about the downfall of an empire)

Noun

傾國

1. (literary, figurative) drop-dead gorgeous woman; beauty who could drive a man to distraction (and bring about the downfall of an empire)

   • 漢皇重色思傾國，御宇多年求不得。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     汉皇重色思倾国，御宇多年求不得。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 806 CE Bai Juyi, Song of Everlasting Regret

     Hàn huáng zhòng sè sī qīngguó, yùyǔ duōnián qiú bùdé. [Pinyin]

     A Han emperor [i.e. Emperor Wu of Han] placed a premium on his dalliances, and longed for a beauty able to topple his empire;
     Despite many years of reign he could not fulfil his desire.

2. (literary) the entire country

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (傾國):

• → Japanese: 傾国(けいこく) (keikoku)
• → Korean: 경국(傾國) (gyeongguk)