Learn Chinese with Story of Yanxi Palace: Palace Words
To learn Chinese with Story of Yanxi Palace (延禧攻略, Yánxǐ Gōnglüè), you'll want to be around HSK 5. It has the full vocabulary of a Qing-dynasty palace drama: consort ranks, servants' titles and the polite formulas of court life. It's also unusually easy to follow, because its heroine says exactly what she thinks. This guide covers the level, 38 words, who uses which "I" and a plan for 70 episodes.
Short answer: Story of Yanxi Palace is advanced, about HSK 5–6 by our estimate, but it's the easiest palace drama to start with. Learn the consort ranks and the self-references (奴婢, 臣妾, 本宫, 朕) first. After that, much of the dialogue is fast, sharp argument in fairly modern Chinese.
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What is Story of Yanxi Palace, and what level is it?
Story of Yanxi Palace 延禧攻略
Wei Yingluo enters the Forbidden City as a maid in the embroidery workshop. She wants to find out the truth about her older sister's death, and she doesn't keep quiet when she or anyone she cares about is wronged.
Why it works for learners: most palace dramas run on hints and silences. This one runs on confrontation. Yingluo answers back, sets traps and explains her plans, so a lot of the dialogue is direct and fast rather than coded. You still get the complete palace system: ranks, servants, rituals and formulas you'll hear in every other Qing drama.
The series was written by Zhou Mo and produced by Yu Zheng, directed by Hui Kaidong and Wen Deguang, and stars Wu Jinyan as Wei Yingluo, Qin Lan as Empress Fucha, Nie Yuan as the Qianlong Emperor and Charmaine Sheh as Consort Xian. English-language sources usually present it as an original screenplay, while Chinese Wikipedia lists a novel of the same name by 笑脸猫 as its source. It streamed over 15 billion times on iQIYI in 2018 and was the most-Googled TV show worldwide that year. It has been distributed in more than 70 markets, so check what's available in your region.
What the title means. 延禧 (Yánxǐ) is the palace Yingluo eventually lives in; the name means roughly "prolonged blessings." 攻略 (gōnglüè) means "strategy" and is also the everyday word for a game walkthrough or a travel guide (旅游攻略). The Chinese title promises a guide to winning the palace.
Is Story of Yanxi Palace good for learning Chinese?
Yes, for upper-intermediate and advanced learners. The good and the hard:
- Good: the palace vocabulary is a closed set that repeats in every episode. Learn 40 words and you have the frame for this show and for Empresses in the Palace, Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace and dozens of others.
- Good: lots of conflict means lots of emotional, repeated phrases: accusations, denials, orders and apologies.
- Hard: speech is often quick in arguments, and many characters have rank titles that change as they rise or fall. Someone you know as one title in one episode may have another a few episodes later.
- Hard: some Manchu-derived words (辛者库, 福晋) and ritual formulas you won't find in textbooks.
If HSK 5 is still ahead of you, try a lighter costume drama from our costume drama list first. If you've finished this and want the hardest court Chinese, go to Nirvana in Fire.
Story of Yanxi Palace vocabulary: 38 palace words
Consort ranks, from lowest to highest
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 答应 | dāying | Attendant (lowest rank) | Same characters as the everyday verb "to agree" |
| 常在 | chángzài | First Attendant | Literally "always present" |
| 贵人 | guìrén | Noble Lady | Also everyday "a helpful benefactor" |
| 嫔 | pín | Imperial Concubine | Yingluo's first title at this level: 令嫔 |
| 妃 | fēi | Consort | Pattern: title + rank, as in 令妃, 娴妃 |
| 贵妃 | guìfēi | Noble Consort | 高贵妃 is one of the early antagonists |
| 皇贵妃 | huángguìfēi | Imperial Noble Consort | One step below empress |
| 皇后 | huánghòu | Empress | Lives in 长春宫 in this show |
Servants and staff
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 宫女 | gōngnǚ | palace maid | Yingluo's starting position |
| 绣坊 | xiùfáng | embroidery workshop | 绣 = to embroider |
| 掌事宫女 | zhǎngshì gōngnǚ | head maid | 掌事 = in charge |
| 太监 | tàijiàn | eunuch | Addressed as 公公 |
| 公公 | gōnggong | (title for a eunuch) | In modern Chinese also a woman's father-in-law |
| 嬷嬷 | mómo | senior palace matron | Older women who train and discipline maids |
| 侍卫 | shìwèi | imperial guard | Fuheng starts as a 御前侍卫 |
| 御前 | yùqián | in the emperor's presence | 御 marks anything imperial |
| 辛者库 | Xīnzhěkù | the lowest servant bureau | A Manchu loanword; being sent there is a punishment |
Address and self-reference
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 皇上 | huángshang | Your Majesty; the Emperor | The usual way to address or mention him |
| 朕 | zhèn | I (emperor only) | No one else may use it |
| 本宫 | běngōng | I (empress, high consort) | Literally "this palace" |
| 臣妾 | chénqiè | I (a consort, to the emperor) | Humble; literally "your subject and concubine" |
| 奴婢 | núbì | I (a maid) | What Yingluo says for much of the show |
| 奴才 | núcai | I (a eunuch or Manchu servant) | Also an insult: "lackey" |
| 娘娘 | niángniang | Your Ladyship | For consorts of higher rank and the empress |
| 小主 | xiǎozhǔ | my lady (lower consort) | For ranks below the consorts who are called 娘娘 |
| 主子 | zhǔzi | master, mistress | How servants refer to the person they serve |
Palace life
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 请安 | qǐng'ān | to pay respects | The daily morning greeting ritual |
| 吉祥 | jíxiáng | auspicious; (greeting) | Used in greetings like 娘娘吉祥 |
| 跪下 | guìxià | kneel! | You'll hear it in almost every episode |
| 退下 | tuìxià | withdraw, you may go | Dismissing a servant |
| 赏 | shǎng | to reward; a reward | Opposite: 罚 fá, to punish |
| 掌嘴 | zhǎngzuǐ | to slap (as punishment) | An order, not a description |
| 圣旨 | shèngzhǐ | imperial edict | Everyone kneels when one is read |
| 冤枉 | yuānwang | wronged; to accuse unjustly | Shouted when someone is framed |
| 紫禁城 | Zǐjìnchéng | the Forbidden City | Literally "purple forbidden city" |
| 长春宫 | Chángchūn Gōng | Palace of Eternal Spring | The Empress's residence |
| 延禧宫 | Yánxǐ Gōng | Yanxi Palace | Gives the show its name |
| 圆明园 | Yuánmíngyuán | the Old Summer Palace | Some of the story moves here |
Our planned costume drama vocabulary glossary covers these titles across other dynasties too.
Who says 奴婢, 奴才 or 本宫?
In palace dramas, the word for "I" tells you exactly where someone stands, and it changes as characters rise or fall. That makes self-reference the single most useful thing to learn from this show.
- Maids say 奴婢. When Yingluo stops saying it, her status has changed.
- Eunuchs say 奴才. In the Qing court it was also used by Manchu officials and bannermen toward the emperor, while Han Chinese officials used 臣. The distinction is a real piece of Qing history.
- Consorts say 臣妾 to the emperor and empress, and higher-ranking ones say 本宫 to everyone below them. The same woman can switch between the two in a single scene, depending on who she's facing.
- The emperor says 朕, except in rare unguarded moments.
Address works the same way. Servants call a high-ranking consort 娘娘 and lower-ranked consorts 小主, and calling someone by the wrong title is an insult. Manchu words also appear in family titles, such as 福晋 (fújìn, a prince's wife) and 格格 (gége, a princess or noble daughter).
As with all of this, use it to understand, not to speak. Saying 本宫 or 朕 in real life is a well-known joke that Chinese friends will get.
A study plan for all 70 episodes
Seventy episodes of about 45 minutes is roughly 52 hours of viewing, or 75 to 85 hours with replays and review. The stages below are approximate.
| Stage | Episodes (approx.) | Language focus | How to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| The embroidery workshop | Opening episodes | Maids, rules, punishments, gossip | Chinese subtitles; write down every title you hear |
| Serving the Empress | First half | Consorts, rituals, intrigue, polite formulas | Replay each confrontation once |
| Rising through the ranks | Second half | Changing titles, politics, emotional speech | Fewer pauses; follow the argument, not every word |
Five episodes a week (four to six hours with review) takes about fourteen weeks. It's a long show, so build in a reward point: after episode 35, rewatch episode 1 and compare.
Common mistake: trying to remember every consort's name. Learn the ranks and the palace names instead: most characters are called by title, and the title tells you how to read each scene.
Similar dramas to watch next
- Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (如懿传, Tencent Video, 2018, 87 episodes): the same Qianlong court, seen through another consort's story. Slower and more literary.
- Empresses in the Palace (后宫·甄嬛传): the classic palace drama, in our advanced C-drama list.
- Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures (2019): a sequel released on Netflix, lighter in tone.
Track your palace-drama hours
A 70-episode show is one of the biggest single blocks of input you'll do. Log each episode in LangTrack and you can see exactly how many hours it added, and how they fit into the hours it takes to learn Mandarin.
Frequently asked questions
Is Story of Yanxi Palace good for learning Chinese?
Yes, for upper-intermediate and advanced learners. Its heroine speaks directly, so it is easier to follow than most palace dramas, and it teaches the full set of Qing palace ranks, titles and court formulas.
What HSK level do you need for Story of Yanxi Palace?
About HSK 5 to 6, by our estimate. HSK 5 learners can follow it with Chinese subtitles once they know the consort ranks and self-references.
What does ben gong mean?
本宫 (běngōng) is a way for an empress or high-ranking consort to say I, literally this palace. Lower-ranked women say 臣妾 to the emperor, and maids say 奴婢.
What are the consort ranks in Story of Yanxi Palace?
From lowest to highest: 答应, 常在, 贵人, 嫔, 妃, 贵妃, 皇贵妃 and finally 皇后, the empress.
How long is Story of Yanxi Palace?
It has 70 episodes of about 45 minutes, roughly 52 hours of viewing. With replays and review, plan for 75 to 85 hours.
Track your palace-drama hours
Seventy episodes is a big block of input. Log each one and see it add up toward HSK 6.
Start tracking — free
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