Chinese word

大臣

Pronunciation

Pinyindà chén

Meaning

  • nounminister

Example

他成为了新的大臣。tā chéng wéi le xīn de dà chén

He became the new minister.

Illustration for 大臣 (minister)

More examples

大臣在议会中发表了演讲。dà chén zài yì huì zhōng fā biǎo le yán jiǎng

The minister gave a speech in parliament.

Core concept

A high-ranking government official who leads a policy area and helps make national decisions.

Common phrases

  • 担任大臣dān rèn dà chén

    serve as minister

  • 任命为大臣rèn mìng wèi dà chén

    appoint as minister

  • 财政大臣cái zhèng dà chén

    finance minister

Similar words

部长bù zhǎng: The head of a government ministry or department who manages its policies and work.
总理zóng lǐ: The top official responsible for directing the national government and its overall work.
官员guān yuán: A person who holds a public office and carries out government duties.

Definition in Chinese

在政府中担任高级职务，负责管理或决策某一部门，通常作为内阁成员或国家行政领导的一员。zài zhèng fǔ zhōng dān rèn gāo jí zhí wù fù zé guán lǐ huò jué cè mǒu yí bù mén tōng cháng zuò wéi nèi gé chéng yuán huò guó jiā xíng zhèng líng dǎo de yì yuán

Word origin

大臣 (dàchén, "minister") combines 大 (dà, "great") + 臣 (chén, "official or subject"), presenting a highly ranked servant of the state.

Usage tips

  • English-speaking learners may expect a casual label for any officeholder, but this noun belongs mainly to formal government language and signals high rank.

Other meanings

  • senior officialnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 财政大臣cái zhèng dà chénfinance ministernoun
  • 外交大臣wài jiāo dà chénforeign ministernoun

Word lists with this word