蟾宫折桂 chán gōng zhé guì

win the top prize in an exam

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. lit. plucking a branch of osmanthus from the Toad Palace (i.e. the moon)
  2. 2. fig. to succeed in the imperial examination

Characters

Character Meaning
蟾 chán
(striped) toad; moon
宫 gōng HSK 6
palace; temple; surname Gong
折 zhé HSK 4
to fold; to bend; to break
桂 guì
cassia