仕宦

shìhuàn

verb

Meanings

1 (literary) to serve as an official
2 to hold an official post
3 (noun) officialdom, the career of an official

Characters

to serve in office

official / bureaucrat

Examples

他出身仕宦之家，自幼受良好教育。

Tā chūshēn shìhuàn zhī jiā, zìyòu shòu liánghǎo jiàoyù.

He came from an official family and received a good education from a young age.

苏轼一生仕宦坎坷，多次被贬。

Sū Shì yīshēng shìhuàn kǎnkě, duōcì bèi biǎn.

Su Shi's official career was full of setbacks; he was demoted many times.

Tips

history

In imperial China, 仕宦 named the central life-path of the educated class — passing the imperial exam and entering the bureaucracy. Compare 仕途 (shìtú, official's career path) and 致仕 (zhìshì, to retire from office).

Stroke Order

仕 shì

宦 huàn