hù
笏
ancient court tablet; scepter
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
a long, narrow tablet held by officials in ancient Chinese court ceremonies, made of jade, ivory, or bamboo, used for recording notes or memos
archaicRefers specifically to the ceremonial tablet (also called 手板 or 笏板) used in imperial Chinese court settings from ancient times through the Ming and Qing dynasties. The material indicated the official's rank: jade for high nobles, ivory for mid-ranking officials, and bamboo for lower ranks.
Dà大
chén臣
shǒu手
chí持
yù玉
hù笏
，
shàng上
cháo朝
bài拜
jiàn见
huáng皇
dì帝
。
The minister held a jade tablet in his hands and went to court to have an audience with the emperor.
Zhè这
fāng方
xiàng象
yá牙
hù笏
shì是
gǔ古
dài代
liú流
chuán传
xià下
lái来
de的
zhēn珍
guì贵
wén文
wù物
。
This ivory court tablet is a precious cultural relic passed down from ancient times.
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Hù笏
bǎn板
shàng上
kè刻
zhe着
guān官
yuán员
yào要
zòu奏
bǐng禀
de的
yào要
diǎn点
。
The main points that the official wished to report were carved on the tablet.