殿 (diàn) - Palace hall & temple

殿Tone 4

diàn ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

殿 · diàn

Palace hall;

temple;

the main hall of a palace or temple;

also used to refer to the rear in military formations.

Palace halltemplethe main hall of a palace or temple

Usage highlights

Main hallPalace hallTemple hallHall of Supreme HarmonyHall of Preserving HarmonyHall of Central Harmony

Synonyms

  • 宫— palace
  • 堂— hall
  • 厅— hall, large room

Antonyms

  • 前— front (antonym to the 'rear' sense)
  • 先— first, ahead (antonym to the 'last' sense)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The main hall of the Forbidden City is called the Hall of Supreme Harmony (太和殿).
  • The temple's main hall enshrines a golden Buddha (大雄宝殿).
  • In ancient warfare, the rearguard was called the '殿军' (rearguard).
  • He finished last in the race, so he was the '殿后' (to bring up the rear).

Collocations

  • Main hall(大殿)
  • Palace hall(宫殿)
  • Temple hall(殿堂)
  • Hall of Supreme Harmony(太和殿)
  • Hall of Preserving Harmony(保和殿)
  • Hall of Central Harmony(中和殿)

Idioms

  • Dragons and palaces(龙楼凤殿)
  • The golden palace and the jade hall(金殿玉堂)
  • Luan's palace and phoenix's hall(鸾殿凤堂)
  • The hall is full of gold and jade(殿宇金碧)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In imperial architecture, '殿' referred to the most important and grandest buildings, such as those in the Forbidden City.
  • In a military context, '殿' denotes the rear position, responsible for protecting the main force from behind.
  • In religious contexts, '殿' is the main hall of a temple where the primary deity is enshrined.

FAQ