Dictionary › 新官上任三把火

新官上任三把火

xīn guān shàng rèn sān bǎ huǒ

7-character word

What 新官上任三把火 means

1. (of a newly appointed official) to make bold changes on assuming office (idiom)

The characters in 新官上任三把火

• 新xīnnew; newly; meso- (chemistry)
• 官guāngovernment official; governmental; official
• 上shàng(bound form) up; upper; above; previous; first (of multiple parts); to climb…
• 任rènto assign; to appoint; to take up a post
• 三sānthree; 3
• 把bǎto hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate; handlebar
• 火huǒfire; urgent; ammunition

Example sentences

• 新官上任三把火。
  A new broom sweeps clean.