TongTong
Sign in

诸葛亮 (Zhū gě Liàng) — Zhuge Liang (181–234 CE), famed strategist of the Three Kingdoms period; (figurative) a master planner or brilliant strategist

Definition

Proper name of the Three Kingdoms strategist (181–234 CE), used as a cultural shorthand for a brilliant planner. Saying someone 是诸葛亮 praises their cleverness.

noun
Zhuge Liang (181–234 CE), famed strategist of the Three Kingdoms period(figurative) a master planner or brilliant strategist

Examples

  • 诸葛亮，。
    Tā jiù xiàng Zhū gě Liàng yí yàng, zǒng néng xiǎng chū hǎo bàn fǎ.
    He's just like Zhuge Liang — he always comes up with good solutions.
  • 诸葛亮，。
    Bié dāng shì hòu Zhū gě Liàng, xiàn zài jiù lái bāng máng ba.
    Don't be a Monday-morning quarterback — come help now.
  • ，诸葛亮。
    Sān gè chòu pí jiàng, dǐng gè Zhū gě Liàng.
    Two heads are better than one. (lit. Three cobblers together outsmart Zhuge Liang.)

Origin

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 諸; 诸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě諸zhū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 諸 pairs 言 (speech) with 者; 者 gives the sound.

Open 诸 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
曷
曷hé葛gé
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

葛 uses 艹 to show it is a plant and 曷 for its sound.

Open 葛 →

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
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
京
京jīng亮liàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

亮 combines 人 (person) with 京, and the 京 part shows a tower body.

Open 亮 →
Appears in
History

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.