王贡弹冠 — “Describes good friends who advance or retreat together”

王贡弹冠 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describes good friends who advance or retreat together”. Sharing similar choices and decisions. It also refers to the celebration among like-minded individuals when one of them secures an official position or achieves success, implying a shared anticipation of future opportunities. Literally, “Wang Gong dust their caps”.

Frequency

王贡弹冠 Pronunciation and Pinyin

王贡弹冠 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
王	wáng	4	king, ruler, prince, chief
贡	gòng	7	offer tribute or contribute
弹	dàn	11	bullet, play, criticize
冠	guàn	9	hat; crown; first place

Example Sentence with 王贡弹冠

两位老友多年来互相扶持，如今一人高升，另一人也很快得到重用，这正是王贡弹冠的佳话，令人称羡。

The two old friends had supported each other for years; now, one was promoted, and the other soon gained significant responsibilities as well. This perfectly exemplifies the saying 'Wang Gong dust their caps,' a truly admirable tale.

Origin and Story of 王贡弹冠

During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, Wang Ji from Langya and Gong Yu were close friends. Gong Yu had been dismissed from office multiple times, and Wang Ji also faced career setbacks.

When Emperor Yuan ascended to the throne, Wang Ji was summoned to serve as an Imperial Censor (Jianyi Daifu).

Upon hearing this news, Gong Yu was delighted. He took out his official cap, brushed off the dust, and prepared to wear it. Indeed, not long after, Gong Yu was also appointed as an Imperial Censor.