嬪 (pín) - Consort — a title for imperial concubines in & to be a wife or spouse

嬪Tone 2

pín ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

嬪 · pín

Consort — a title for imperial concubines in ancient China;

to be a wife or spouse;

to serve as an attendant.

Consort — a title for imperial concubines into be a wife or spouseto serve as an attendant.

Usage highlights

Imperial consortConsorts and concubinesWives and consortsAttendants and consortsConsort rankConsort title

Synonyms

  • 妃— Consort (higher rank than 嫔)
  • 妾— Concubine
  • 姬— Imperial concubine; beauty

Antonyms

  • 君— Monarch; ruler (antonym in the servant sense)
  • 夫— Husband (antonym in the spouse sense)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She was an imperial consort (妃嫔) in the palace.
  • The emperor had many consorts (嫔妃).
  • The term refers to a wife or spouse in classical texts (嫔妇).
  • She served as an attendant in the court (嫔从).

Collocations

  • Imperial consort(妃嫔)
  • Consorts and concubines(嫔妃)
  • Wives and consorts(嫔妇)
  • Attendants and consorts(嫔从)
  • Consort rank(嫔位)
  • Consort title(嫔号)

Idioms

  • The imperial harem with many consorts(三宫六院七十二嫔妃)
  • To serve as a consort(充为嫔御)
  • Consorts and ladies of the palace(嫔娥)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In imperial China, '嫔' was a specific rank for concubines in the emperor's harem, below '妃' (consort) and above lower-ranking ladies.
  • The term originates from classical texts where it could refer more generally to a wife or female attendant.
  • The character reflects the hierarchical and gendered social structure of ancient Chinese courts.

FAQ