Chinese Costume Drama Glossary: Palace Words with Pinyin
This Chinese costume drama glossary covers the words you hear in every palace, court and historical C-drama: how emperors and consorts refer to themselves, the harem ranks, servants' and officials' titles, the commands everyone shouts and old units of time. Each entry has characters, pinyin with tone marks, a literal meaning, the usual subtitle translation and a note on how it is used.
Costume dramas (古装剧) are hard for learners less because of grammar than because of this closed set of words, which subtitles translate inconsistently. The good news is that the set is small. Learn about 60 words and set phrases and episode 1 of most palace dramas stops being a wall of noise.
Quick answer: the first words to learn are 皇上 (Your Majesty), 朕 (the emperor's "I"), 本宫 (a consort's "I"), 臣妾 (a consort's humble "I"), 奴婢 (a maid's "I"), 娘娘 (Your Ladyship), 大人 (Sir), 平身 (rise), 退下 (withdraw) and 来人 (guards!).
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What are Chinese costume dramas?
古装剧 (gǔzhuāng jù, "ancient-costume drama") covers any C-drama set in the past or in a historical-looking fantasy world. Fans split it into subgenres: 宫斗 (palace intrigue among consorts), 宅斗 (rivalry inside a noble household), 权谋 (political scheming), 武侠 (martial arts), 仙侠 (immortals and cultivation) and 古偶 (historical idol romance). Most of the words below appear across all of them; the harem ranks belong to 宫斗.
For drama picks by level, see our guide to costume, wuxia and xianxia dramas. For cultivation vocabulary, see the xianxia glossary.
Emperors, princes and the imperial family
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Literal meaning | How fans translate it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 皇上 | huángshang | the emperor above | Your Majesty, The Emperor | The usual spoken address in Ming and Qing dramas. |
| 陛下 | bìxià | below the palace steps | Your Majesty | More formal and older; common in dramas set before the Qing. |
| 朕 | zhèn | I (imperial) | I, We | Only the emperor says it. Hearing 朕 tells you who is talking. |
| 寡人 / 孤 | guǎrén / gū | the man of few virtues / the orphaned one | I (as ruler) | Humble "I" for kings and princes, mostly in pre-imperial or ancient settings. |
| 万岁 | wànsuì | ten thousand years | Long live the Emperor, Your Majesty | 万岁万岁万万岁 is the full court cheer. |
| 太后 | tàihòu | grand empress | Empress Dowager | The emperor's mother, often the real power. |
| 太子 / 殿下 | tàizǐ / diànxià | great son / below the hall | Crown Prince / Your Highness | 殿下 is for princes and princesses. |
| 王爷 / 本王 | wángye / běnwáng | lord prince / this prince | Your Highness, Prince / I | A titled prince and how he refers to himself. |
| 公主 | gōngzhǔ | princess | Princess | An emperor's daughter. Her husband is the 驸马 (fùmǎ). |
| 阿哥 / 格格 | āge / gége | elder brother / Manchu lady | Prince / Princess, Lady | Qing-only. 阿哥 are the emperor's sons; 格格 are Manchu noble daughters. |
Harem ranks in Qing palace dramas
Palace dramas set in the Qing dynasty, such as Story of Yanxi Palace (延禧攻略), use the Qing consort ranks. From top to bottom:
| Rank | Pinyin | Translation | Address and self-reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 皇后 | huánghòu | Empress | Called 皇后娘娘; refers to herself as 本宫. |
| 皇贵妃 | huáng guìfēi | Imperial Noble Consort | Usually one at most; next to the empress. |
| 贵妃 | guìfēi | Noble Consort | Called 娘娘; uses 本宫. |
| 妃 | fēi | Consort | Called 娘娘; uses 本宫. |
| 嫔 | pín | Concubine, Imperial Concubine | Often heads her own palace, so may use 本宫. |
| 贵人 | guìrén | Noble Lady | Called 小主 by servants. |
| 常在 | chángzài | First Attendant | Called 小主. |
| 答应 | dāying | Second Attendant | The lowest rank; also 小主. |
Ranks and titles differ by dynasty, and dramas take liberties. Tang- or Song-style dramas use other titles (for example 昭仪 or 才人). Treat this ladder as the Qing version that most palace dramas follow. Our planned Story of Yanxi Palace study guide uses it throughout.
How characters say "I" and "you"
This is the single most useful idea in costume dramas: the word for "I" tells you a speaker's rank and who they are talking to. The same consort says 臣妾 to the emperor, 本宫 to a maid, and maybe 我 to her sister. Listen for the switch; it is often the emotional point of the scene.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Literal meaning | How fans translate it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 臣妾 | chénqiè | subject-concubine | I, Your humble consort | A consort speaking to the emperor. Switching to 我 with him signals intimacy or anger. |
| 本宫 | běngōng | this palace | I | A high-ranking consort or empress speaking to inferiors. |
| 娘娘 | niángniang | lady, mother | Your Majesty, Your Highness, My lady | Address for the empress and high consorts. |
| 小主 | xiǎozhǔ | little mistress | Young mistress, My lady | Qing-drama address for low-ranking consorts. |
| 奴婢 | núbì | slave-maid | This servant, I | A palace maid's self-reference. |
| 奴才 | núcai | slave | This servant, Your slave | Qing: eunuchs and servants say it; Manchu officials could use it to the emperor. |
| 宫女 | gōngnǚ | palace woman | Palace maid | Maids who serve the consorts. |
| 太监 / 公公 | tàijiàn / gōnggong | eunuch / sir | Eunuch / Eunuch (polite) | 公公 is how you politely address a eunuch. |
| 嬷嬷 / 姑姑 | mómo / gūgu | nanny / aunt | Matron, Madam | Senior palace women who train and discipline maids. |
| 侍卫 | shìwèi | attending guard | Guard, Bodyguard | Palace guards. 来人 summons them. |
| 太医 | tàiyī | great physician | Imperial physician | Called in after every fainting and poisoning. |
Officials and the court
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Literal meaning | How fans translate it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 大人 | dàren | great person | My lord, Sir | Address for any official. In modern Chinese it means "adult". |
| 臣 / 微臣 | chén / wēichén | subject / lowly subject | Your subject, I | An official speaking to the emperor. |
| 下官 / 本官 | xiàguān / běnguān | lower official / this official | I | Humble to a superior; self-important to an inferior. |
| 末将 | mòjiàng | last general | I, This general | A military officer's humble "I". |
| 丞相 / 宰相 | chéngxiàng / zǎixiàng | assisting minister | Chancellor, Prime Minister | The highest civil official in many dynasties. |
| 将军 | jiāngjūn | commander of the army | General | Note jiāngjūn, first tone on 将. |
| 上朝 / 早朝 | shàngcháo / zǎocháo | go to court / morning court | Court session | Where officials kneel and argue. |
| 奏折 | zòuzhé | folded memorial | Memorial, Petition | The documents emperors read all night in dramas. |
| 科举 / 状元 | kējǔ / zhuàngyuan | imperial exam / top scorer | Imperial examination / Top scholar | The path into officialdom. |
Political dramas such as Nirvana in Fire (琅琊榜) live in this vocabulary. See our planned Nirvana in Fire study guide.
Commands and set phrases
These phrases come back in nearly every episode, and several are now internet jokes. Learn them as whole units.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Literal meaning | How fans translate it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 平身 | píngshēn | level the body | Rise | The emperor tells kneeling people to stand. |
| 免礼 | miǎnlǐ | excuse the ceremony | No need to bow, At ease | A superior waiving the formal bow. |
| 退下 | tuìxià | withdraw down | Dismissed, Leave us | Clearing the room before a secret. |
| 来人 | láirén | come, people | Guards! | Shouted just before 拖出去 (tuō chūqu, "drag them out"). |
| 大胆 / 放肆 | dàdǎn / fàngsì | big gall / unrestrained | How dare you! / Insolence! | Rebukes for crossing a rank line. |
| 请安 | qǐng'ān | ask after peace | Pay respects | The morning greeting ritual. 皇上吉祥 is a Qing-style greeting. |
| 嗻 | zhē | (Manchu-style yes) | Yes, sir | Qing eunuchs and servants. You will not hear it in a Tang drama. |
| 遵旨 / 遵命 | zūnzhǐ / zūnmìng | obey the decree / obey the order | As you command | 遵旨 only for the emperor's orders. |
| 圣旨到 | shèngzhǐ dào | the sacred decree arrives | Imperial edict! | Everyone kneels. The reading often opens 奉天承运，皇帝诏曰 and ends 钦此. |
| 接旨 / 谢主隆恩 | jiēzhǐ / xiè zhǔ lóng'ēn | receive the decree / thank the lord for great grace | Receive the edict / Thank Your Majesty | Said whether the edict is a reward or a disaster. |
| 赐死 | cìsǐ | bestow death | Order to commit suicide | An "honourable" death sentence, often with poison or white silk. |
| 打入冷宫 | dǎrù lěnggōng | strike into the cold palace | Banish to the Cold Palace | Disgrace for a consort. Now used jokingly for anything put aside. |
| 侍寝 / 翻牌子 | shìqǐn / fān páizi | attend in bed / turn over the tablet | Serve the emperor at night / Choose a consort | Qing-drama ritual of choosing a consort for the night. |
| 选秀 | xuǎnxiù | select the beautiful | Consort selection | Today it also means a talent show. |
| 和亲 | héqīn | peace through kinship | Marriage alliance | Sending a princess to marry a foreign ruler. |
Polite everyday words
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Literal meaning | How fans translate it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 姑娘 | gūniang | young woman | Miss, Young lady | Polite address to an unmarried woman. |
| 小女子 | xiǎo nǚzǐ | little woman | I (humble, female) | A young woman's modest "I". |
| 在下 | zàixià | the one below | I | A man's modest "I" among equals. |
| 寒舍 | hánshè | cold hut | My humble home | Humble word for your own house. |
| 不敢当 | bù gǎn dāng | dare not accept | You flatter me | Modest reply to praise. Still used today. |
| 告辞 | gàocí | announce leave | I take my leave | Formal goodbye. |
| 无妨 | wúfáng | no harm | It doesn't matter | Formal "never mind". |
| 罢了 | bàle | let it end | Forget it, Never mind | Also a sentence-final "that's all". |
Time and money in historical dramas
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Literal meaning | How fans translate it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 时辰 | shíchen | hour unit | Two hours | The day had 12 时辰, each about two modern hours. |
| 子时 | zǐshí | zi hour | Midnight | Roughly 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. |
| 三更 | sān gēng | third watch | Midnight | The night had five watches; the third is around midnight. |
| 一炷香 | yī zhù xiāng | one stick of incense | A short while | How long an incense stick burns; often used for roughly half an hour. |
| 一盏茶 | yī zhǎn chá | one cup of tea | A moment | The time to drink a cup of tea; shorter than 一炷香. |
| 两 / 银子 / 银票 | liǎng / yínzi / yínpiào | tael / silver / silver note | Tael, Silver, Banknote | Money in historical dramas: 一百两银子. |
Which words belong to which dynasty?
A common learner mistake is treating every palace word as universal. 嗻, 格格, 阿哥, 小主 and 吉祥 as a greeting are Qing (Manchu) flavour, so you hear them in dramas like Story of Yanxi Palace but not in Tang or Song dramas. 陛下 and 殿下 are older and more widespread. Fantasy costume dramas mix freely. If you want to sound right in conversation, none of these are used today except as jokes, which Chinese speakers love.
How to learn costume drama vocabulary
- Learn the ten quick-answer words before episode 1. They carry the rank system.
- Watch with Chinese subtitles. Most C-dramas have Chinese subtitles built in. Pausing on a new title is faster than looking it up from sound.
- Card set phrases, not characters. 谢主隆恩 and 打入冷宫 are easier as whole units.
- Track who says 本宫. Making a quick list of who uses which "I" is the fastest way to understand palace politics.
- Rewatch a key scene. One rewatched five-minute scene teaches more than one new episode.
Expect about the first five episodes of a palace drama to be slow going. After that, the same 60 or so words do most of the work.
Track your watching hours
Costume dramas run 40 to 70 episodes, so they add up fast. Log your episodes in LangTrack and see how much listening time each drama gives you. For the bigger picture, see how many hours it takes to learn Mandarin.
Frequently asked questions
What does 本宫 mean in Chinese dramas?
本宫 (běngōng) literally means this palace. It is how an empress or high-ranking consort says I when speaking to people of lower rank.
What is the difference between 皇上 and 陛下?
Both mean Your Majesty. 皇上 (huángshang) is the usual spoken address in Ming and Qing dramas, while 陛下 (bìxià) is more formal and more common in dramas set in earlier dynasties.
What does 臣妾 mean?
臣妾 (chénqiè) is a consort's humble way of saying I when she speaks to the emperor. It combines subject and concubine.
What are the harem ranks in Qing dramas?
From top to bottom: 皇后 (Empress), 皇贵妃 (Imperial Noble Consort), 贵妃 (Noble Consort), 妃 (Consort), 嫔 (Concubine), 贵人 (Noble Lady), 常在 (First Attendant) and 答应 (Second Attendant).
How long is 一炷香 in Chinese dramas?
一炷香 is the time an incense stick takes to burn. It is a loose measure, often understood as roughly half an hour.
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