御史大夫

yùshǐ dàfū

noun

Meanings

1 Imperial Censor-in-chief
2 Imperial Secretary

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

御史大夫负责监察百官。

Yùshǐ dàfū fùzé jiānchá bǎiguān.

The Imperial Censor-in-chief was in charge of keeping watch over all officials.

HSK 7-9

汉代的御史大夫地位仅次于丞相，丞相一旦空缺，往往由他升任。

Hàndài de yùshǐ dàfū dìwèi jǐncìyú chéngxiàng, chéngxiàng yídàn kòngquē, wǎngwǎng yóu tā shēngrèn.

In the Han dynasty the Censor-in-chief ranked just below the chancellor, and when that post fell vacant he was often promoted to fill it.

Tips

history

Created under the Qin, the post headed the censors, the 御史, and kept the state archives. In the Western Han it was one of the 三公, with the 丞相 and the 太尉. Renamed 大司空 late in the Western Han, it returned under the Tang with little real power and was abolished in the Ming.

mistakes

大夫 is read dàfū here, an old title for a high official. Read dàifu, the same characters mean a doctor.

Stroke Order

御 yù

史 shǐ

大 dà

夫 fū