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臣

chén
noun #15,139

Meanings

  1. 1 court official
  2. 2 subject (of a monarch)
  3. 3 I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign)

Examples

大臣们纷纷向皇帝进谏。
Dàchénmen fēnfēn xiàng huángdì jìnjiàn.
The ministers one after another offered advice to the emperor.
臣以为此计不妥。
Chén yǐwéi cǐ jì bùtuǒ.
I (your humble servant) believe this plan is not appropriate.

Tips

history
臣 was how officials addressed themselves before the emperor — a self-deprecating first-person pronoun meaning 'your servant.' In period dramas, you'll constantly hear 臣 in court scenes. Common compounds: 大臣 (dàchén, minister), 忠臣 (zhōngchén, loyal minister), 奸臣 (jiānchén, treacherous minister).
memory
The character 臣 looks like a person kneeling with head bowed — an official prostrating before the emperor. This visual matches its meaning perfectly.

Stroke Order

臣 chén