1 arrow banner of command (archaic used as symbol of military authority)
2 fig. instructions from one's superiors
Idioms (16)
三令五申
sān lìng wǔ shēn
1 to order again and again (idiom)
三个和尚没水喝
sān gè hé shang méi shuǐ hē
1 lit. three monks have no water to drink (idiom)
2 fig. everybody's business is nobody's business
3 (If there is one monk, he will fetch water for himself. If there are two, they will fetch water together. But if there are three or more, none will take it upon himself to fetch water.)
令人发指
lìng rén fà zhǐ
1 to make one's hair stand up in anger (idiom); to raise people's hackles
令行禁止
lìng xíng jìn zhǐ
1 lit. if he orders you go, he forbids you stop (idiom); fig. to demand exact compliance with instructions
2 to ensure strictly obedience
利令智昏
lì lìng zhì hūn
1 to lose one's head through material greed (idiom)
吃喝玩乐
chī hē wán lè
1 to eat, drink and be merry (idiom)
2 to abandon oneself to a life of pleasure
吃香喝辣
chī xiāng hē là
1 lit. to eat delicious food and drink hard liquor (idiom)
2 fig. to live well
呼来喝去
hū lái hè qù
1 to call to come and shout to go (idiom); to yell orders
2 always bossing people around
喝西北风
hē xī běi fēng
1 lit. drink the northwest wind (idiom); cold and hungry
巧言令色
qiǎo yán lìng sè
1 to be glib in one's speech and wear an ingratiating expression (idiom)
拿着鸡毛当令箭
ná zhe jī máo dàng lìng jiàn
1 to wave a chicken feather as a token of authority (idiom); to assume unwarranted authority on the basis of some pretext
朝令夕改
zhāo lìng xī gǎi
1 to make frequent or unpredictable changes in policy (idiom)
发号施令
fā hào shī lìng
1 to boss people around (idiom)
色令智昏
sè lìng zhì hūn
1 to lose one's head over lust
2 sex-crazy (idiom)
军令如山
jūn lìng rú shān
1 military orders are like mountains (idiom)
2 a military order must be obeyed
开锣喝道
kāi luó hè dào
1 to clear a street by banging gongs and shouting loudly (idiom)