連中三元 liánzhòngsānyuán to win three top honors in a row Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 连 連 lián adverb successively in succession; one after another; repeatedly中 zhòng verbparticle to hit hit (a target); be hit or struck by (a bullet, illness, poison, etc.); fall into (a trap); win (a prize); pass (an exam); qualify三元 sānyuán top honors in the three examinations The top candidates in the provincial, metropolitan, and palace levels of the civil service examinations, specifically the 解元 jièyuán, 会元 huìyuán, and 状元 zhuàngyuán; achieving first place in all three is called "continuous top honors"