王侯將相

Chinese

		princes and marquises; royalty and nobility	generals and councillors; military officers and civil officials
trad. (王侯將相)		王侯	將相
simp. (王侯将相)		王侯	将相

Etymology

Slogan of the revolters in the Dazexiang uprising, as recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian:

王侯將相，寧有種乎？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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王侯将相，宁有种乎？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Wáng hóu jiàng xiàng, nìng yǒu zhǒng hū? [Pinyin]

Do kings, barons, generals, and ministers rise from only a fixed family background?

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wánghóujiàngxiàng

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄤˊ ㄏㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄒㄧㄤˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wong⁴ hau⁴ zoeng³ soeng³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wánghóujiàngxiàng
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄤˊ ㄏㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄒㄧㄤˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wánghóujiàngsiàng
    • Wade–Giles: wang²-hou²-chiang⁴-hsiang⁴
    • Yale: wáng-hóu-jyàng-syàng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wanghourjianqshianq
    • Palladius: ванхоуцзянсян (vanxouczjansjan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɑŋ³⁵ xoʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: wong⁴ hau⁴ zoeng³ soeng³
    • Yale: wòhng hàuh jeung seung
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wong⁴ hau⁴ dzoeng³ soeng³
    • Guangdong Romanization: wong⁴ heo⁴ zêng³ sêng³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔːŋ²¹ hɐu̯²¹ t͡sœːŋ³³ sœːŋ³³/

Idiom

王侯將相

1. (figurative) kings and nobles (in general); royalty and nobility