三公

三公

Chinese

		three	just; honorable; public just; honorable; public; common; fair; duke; mister
trad. (三公)		三	公
simp. #(三公)		三	公

Etymology

Starting in the Zhou Dynasty, the three highest civil posts were: 太師／太师 (tàishī), 太傅 (tàifù), 太保 (tàibǎo). In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the three positions were: 太尉 (tàiwèi) (Grand Commandant), 司徒 (sītú) (Minister over the Masses) and 司空 (sīkōng) (Minister of Works). Later on, the three positions were discontinued, and their duties were folded into the position of 丞相 (chéngxiàng) (chancellor of China).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sāngōng

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄢ ㄍㄨㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): saam¹ gung¹
• Min Nan (POJ): sam-kong

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sāngōng
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ ㄍㄨㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sangong
    • Wade–Giles: san¹-kung¹
    • Yale: sān-gūng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sangong
    • Palladius: саньгун (sanʹgun)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: saam¹ gung¹
    • Yale: sāam gūng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: saam¹ gung¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sam¹ gung¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sam-kong
    • Tâi-lô: sam-kong
    • Phofsit Daibuun: samkofng
    • IPA (Xiamen): /sam⁴⁴⁻²² kɔŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sam³³ kɔŋ³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /sam⁴⁴⁻²² kɔŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔŋ⁴⁴/

Proper noun

三公

1. (archaic) three highest-ranking civil officials in the imperial court

Derived terms

三公九卿 (Sāngōng Jiǔqīng) 折臂三公

一國三公／一国三公

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (三公):

• → Korean: 삼공(三公) (samgong)
• → Vietnamese: tam công (三公)

See also

• 三司 (sānsī)

References

• Chancellor of China on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• 圖解三國時代, p. 107 and 250, →ISBN

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Japanese

Kanji in this term
三	公
さん Grade: 1	こう Grade: 2
kan’on

Etymology

Literary Chinese 三公

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) さんこー [sàńkóó] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) さ​んこー [sáꜜǹkòò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [sã̠ŋko̞ː]

Noun

三(さん)公(こう) • (sankō) 

1. (collective, historical, government) three highest-ranking officials in feudal China

   Holonym: 三公九卿

   (Zhou) Meronyms: 太師, 太傅, 太保

   (Han) Meronyms: 御史大夫, 丞相, 太尉

   (Later Han and later) Meronyms: 司空, 司徒, 太尉

2. (collective, historical, government) three highest-ranking officials in feudal Japan

   Meronyms: 右大臣, 左大臣, 太政大臣

   Meronyms: 右大臣, 左大臣, 内大臣

See also

• 公(こう)主(しゅ) (kōshu)