判官

pànguān

noun #34,379

Measure Word

一位判官 wèi

Meanings

1 judge of the underworld (in Chinese folk religion)
2 magistrate (Tang and Song dynasties)
3 (modern) judge; arbiter

Characters

official; officer

Examples

传说阎王手下有个判官，专管生死簿。

Chuánshuō Yánwáng shǒuxià yǒu gè pànguān, zhuān guǎn shēngsǐbù.

Legend says Yama has a judge under him who keeps the register of life and death.

唐代地方上设有判官一职。

Tángdài dìfāng shàng shè yǒu pànguān yī zhí.

In the Tang dynasty there was an official post of pànguān at the local level.

Tips

culture

In Chinese folk religion the most famous 判官 is 钟馗 (Zhong Kui), the demon-slaying judge of hell, often pictured red-faced with a sword and 生死簿 (book of life and death) — a popular figure on Lunar New Year door art for warding off evil. Historically, 判官 was also a real Tang/Song administrative title for a magistrate's deputy.

Stroke Order

判 pàn

官 guān