臣 chén — statesman; vassal; courtier; minister; official
古时候，大臣要向皇帝行礼。Gǔ shí hou, dà chén yào xiàng huáng dì xíng lǐ.In ancient times, ministers had to bow to the emperor.
Common words: 大臣 (dà chén)、功臣 (gōng chén)、人臣 (rén chén)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "minister"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "minister", including 臣 (chén), 卿 (qīng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "minister" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 臣 (chén), 卿 (qīng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span chén, qīng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 臣 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 臣 chénstatesman; vassal; courtier; minister; officialUseful words: 大臣, 功臣
- 卿 qīng(old) minister; (old) term of endearment between spouses; thou (poet.)Useful words: 公卿, 九卿
Common words for these 2 "minister" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 臣 (chén) — so "minister" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
大臣dà chénchancellor (of a monarchy); cabinet minister功臣gōng chénmeritorious official; person who renders exceptional service; hero; (fig.) sth that plays a vital role人臣rén chénan official (in former times)公卿gōng qīnghigh-ranking officials in the court of a Chinese emperor九卿jiǔ qīngthe nine top officials (in imperial China)国务卿guó wù qīngSecretary of State
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "minister".
卿 qīng — (old) minister; (old) term of endearment between spouses; thou (poet.)
古时候，朝廷里设有许多公卿大臣。Gǔ shí hou, cháo tíng lǐ shè yǒu xǔ duō gōng qīng dà chén.In ancient times, the court had many high ministers and officials.
Common words: 公卿 (gōng qīng)、九卿 (jiǔ qīng)、国务卿 (guó wù qīng)
All 2 characters
Open 臣、卿 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.