Chinese word

官

Pronunciation

Pinyinguān

Meaning

  • nounofficial

Example

他成了官，每天都很忙。tā chéng le guān měi tiān dōu hěn máng

He became an official and is busy every day.

Illustration for 官 (official)

More examples

她在市政府工作，是一名官员。tā zài shì zhèng fǔ gōng zuò shì yì míng guān yuán

She works for the city government and is a government official.

Core concept

A seat of public authority in the government system, viewed as either the office or its holder.

Common phrases

  • 官员guān yuán

    official

  • 政府官员zhèng fǔ guān yuán

    government official

  • 官职guān zhí

    official position

Similar words

官员guān yuán: A person serving in an official role within a government institution.
公务员gōng wù yuán: A public employee responsible for government administration or services.
官职guān zhí: A formal position or rank assigned within a government or organization.
职员zhí yuán: A regular employee working in a company, office, or government department.

Definition in Chinese

国家或政府机关中担任公职的人员或所担任的职务。guó jiā huò zhèng fǔ jī guān zhōng dān rèn gōng zhí de rén yuán huò suǒ dān rèn de zhí wù

Word origin

The character 官 (guān, "official") originally referred to a government office under a roof, then extended to the post and the person serving in it.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this noun often sounds formal and compressed, so the role or person is usually described more specifically.

Other meanings

  • bureaucratnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word