大臣

dàchén
noun HSK 7-9 #10,231

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 minister; high official
  2. 2 cabinet minister

Characters

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

Examples

HSK 6
Yīngguó shǒuxiàng hé dàchén men chūxí le huìyì.
The British Prime Minister and cabinet ministers attended the meeting.
HSK 7-9
Huángdì zhàojí dàchén men shāngyì guóshì.
The emperor summoned his ministers to discuss state affairs.

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

chén