改朝换代 (gǎi cháo huàn dài) — dynastic change, regime change (replacement of one ruling dynasty or government by another)

Definition

Idiom literally meaning 'change dynasty, swap era', used for a wholesale transfer of political power. Mostly historical, but can be applied metaphorically to any leadership shake-up (e.g. a company).

idiom
dynastic changeregime change (replacement of one ruling dynasty or government by another)

Examples

  • 改朝换代。
    Zhōng guó lì shǐ shàng jīng lì guò hěn duō cì gǎi cháo huàn dài.
    Chinese history has experienced many dynastic changes.
  • CEO，改朝换代。
    Zhè ge gōng sī huàn le CEO, jiù xiàng gǎi cháo huàn dài yí yàng.
    This company changed its CEO — it's like a regime change.
  • 改朝换代。
    Lǎo bǎi xìng zuì pà gǎi cháo huàn dài dài lái de dòng dàng.
    Common people fear the turmoil brought by dynastic change the most.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

改朝change dynasty
改gǎichange朝cháodynasty
动宾Verb + object
换代change era
换huànchange代dàiera
动宾Verb + object

改朝 means change the dynasty and 换代 means change the era; together they describe regime change.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì改gǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An early form of 改 paired 巳 as a sound part with 攴 as a meaning part; the sound part later changed.

Open 改 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

Originally, 朝 showed the sun rising above the ground while the moon was still in the sky, giving the sense of morning.

Open 朝 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 換; 换 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
奐
奐huàn換huàn
Same sound today

For the traditional form 換, 手 is the hand part and 奐 gives the sound; this note is about 換, not the simplified 换.

Open 换 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
弋
弋yì代dài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 代, 亻 shows a person, and 弋 gives the sound.

Open 代 →

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