号令如山 — “Orders are like a mountain”
号令如山 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Orders or commands are strict, absolute, and must be obeyed without any deviation or question, like an unmoving mountain; indicating strict discipline and inviolable regulations”. Literally, “Orders are like a mountain”.
号令如山 Pronunciation and Pinyin
号令如山 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 号令如山
Origin and Story of 号令如山
During the Southern Song Dynasty, General Yue Fei was renowned for his diligent study and martial prowess. He could shoot arrows ambidextrously, hitting targets with every shot, and was highly skilled in battle strategy.
The army he commanded was known for its absolute discipline, with orders as strict and unchangeable as a mountain. His soldiers were so well-behaved that the common people praised them with sayings like, "They would rather freeze to death than dismantle homes for firewood, and starve to death rather than plunder." The enemy forces were terrified upon hearing the name "Yue Family Army."
Despite his great contributions in resisting the Jurchens, Yue Fei was eventually tragically framed and persecuted by Qin Hui and his son.
Idioms Related to 号令如山
Synonyms of 号令如山
More idioms starting with 号
- háo号táo咷dà大kū哭to wail loudly
- háo号táo啕dà大kū哭to wail loudly and cry uncontrollably
- háo号táo啕tòng痛kū哭to weep and wail bitterly
- hào号tiān天kòu叩dì地wail and lament excessively
- hào号tiān天kū哭dì地wail and lament loudly
- hào号tiān天táo啕dì地cry out to heaven and wail to earth
- hào号tiān天kòu扣dì地wail to heaven and pound earth
- hào号tiān天pāi拍dì地wail loudly in great distress
- hào号tiān天dā搭dì地wail to the sky and throw oneself to the ground
- háo号hán寒tí啼jī饥wail from cold and cry from hunger
Recommended tools
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Writing Worksheets
Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Stroke Order Animator
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →
Character Highlight Animator
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →Questions about 号令如山
What does 号令如山 mean?
号令如山 (hào lìng rú shān) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Orders or commands are strict, absolute, and must be obeyed without any deviation or question, like an unmoving mountain; indicating strict discipline and inviolable regulations”.
How do you pronounce 号令如山?
号令如山 is pronounced hào lìng rú shān in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 号令如山 literally mean?
Literally, 号令如山 means “Orders are like a mountain”. It is used to mean “Orders or commands are strict, absolute, and must be obeyed without any deviation or question, like an unmoving mountain; indicating strict discipline and inviolable regulations”.
Where does 号令如山 come from?
号令如山 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 号令如山?
指军令严肃，不容更改。