大臣

dàchén

noun HSK 7 #10,231

Measure Word

一位大臣 wèi

Meanings

1 minister (of a court); high official
2 cabinet minister (in monarchies)

Characters

official; minister; subject (of a ruler)

Literally 'great official' — a high-ranking minister serving the ruler.

Examples

皇帝召集大臣们商议国事。

Huángdì zhàojí dàchénmen shāngyì guóshì.

The emperor summoned his ministers to discuss state affairs.

英国首相和大臣们出席了会议。

Yīngguó shǒuxiàng hé dàchénmen chūxí le huìyì.

The British Prime Minister and cabinet ministers attended the meeting.

Tips

usage

In modern Chinese, 大臣 is mainly used for historical contexts (imperial China, medieval Europe) or current monarchies (British cabinet ministers). For officials in the PRC or other republics, different titles are used (部长, 官员).

Stroke Order

大 dà

臣 chén