Definitions
(noun)
palace hall; temple
(noun)
rear hall; back chamber
Etymology
Depicts a weapon (殳) smacking a person's buttocks (𡱒). In ancient China, having one's buttocks smacked with a huge stick was one of the punishments criminals could have. Based on the original meaning, "to smack the buttocks". The meaning later shifted to "palace" and "hall", because buildings have an elevated appearance that stick out like buttocks.
About
The character "殿" combines the component "殳", representing an action or tool, with a element derived from "臀" (buttocks), which suggests a base or rear position. Its earliest meanings involved striking or producing sound, but it later acquired the sense of denoting the rear of a military formation or procession. This spatial reference extended to the buildings at the back of imperial compounds, leading to its modern primary meaning of a grand hall, such as in a palace or temple.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这座宫殿很古老。
大殿里有很多人。
我们参观了故宫的殿宇。
他在寺庙的殿内祈祷。
这座殿建于唐代。
皇家殿院通常不允许拍照。
为了维护殿内的肃静，请保持安静。
在古代，殿试是科举制度的最高级别考试。