宫

宮

gōng

吕 + 宀

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

gōng (noun) palace; imperial court

gōng (noun) musical note (first note in traditional Chinese scale)

Etymology

Simplified form of 宮. Pictograph of a building (宀) with multiple rooms.

Semantic: 宀 Phonetic: 吕

About

宫, the simplified form of 宮, is a pictograph: the roof radical 宀 (building) sits above the component 吕, which depicts multiple interconnected rooms. Originally a general term for any house or dwelling regardless of social status, the character's meaning narrowed as hierarchies became more rigid, coming to denote exclusively grand imperial palaces, royal residences, and significant temples while shedding its earlier association with ordinary homes.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个宫殿真雄伟。

Zhè gè gōngdiàn zhēn xióngwěi.

This palace is really magnificent.

皇宫里住着皇帝。

Huánggōng lǐ zhù zhe huángdì.

The emperor lives in the palace.

我们参观了故宫博物院。

Wǒmen cānguān le Gùgōng Bówùyuàn.

We visited the Palace Museum.

宫保鸡丁是一道川菜。

Gōngbǎo jīdīng shì yī dào chuāncài.

Kung pao chicken is a Sichuan dish.

这座宫殿的历史很悠久。

Zhè zuò gōngdiàn de lìshǐ hěn yōujiǔ.

This palace has a long history.

在故宫，你可以看到许多文物。

Zài Gùgōng, nǐ kěyǐ kàn dào xǔduō wénwù.

In the Forbidden City, you can see many cultural relics.

皇宫的建筑风格体现了古代文化。

Huánggōng de jiànzhù fēnggé tǐxiàn le gǔdài wénhuà.

The architectural style of the palace reflects ancient culture.

通过参观故宫，我了解了中国历史。

Tōngguò cānguān Gùgōng, wǒ liǎojiě le Zhōngguó lìshǐ.

By visiting the Forbidden City, I learned about Chinese history.

Related Characters

Component: 吕

Component: 宀

宫