臣
Tap the pinyin to hear it
state official or subject in dynastic China; I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign); Kangxi radical 131
- HSK 3.0
- Level 7–9
- Old HSK
- Level 6
- Strokes
- 6
- Radical
- 臣 itself
- Structure
- Left enclosure 左包
- Traditional
- 臣
- Common rank
- #1,375
- Unicode
- U+81E3
Sound it out + =
Formation & memory
Break the character into parts you already know.
How 臣 is formed
Components 匚 丨 ×2
? unknown part
How to remember it
feudal official · Heisig RSH #731
— as a component also called: underling
Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.
Words with 臣
The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一朝天子一朝臣 | new emperor, new officials (idiom); a new chief brings in new aides | |
| 臣一主二 | One has the right to choose the ruler one serves. (ancient proverb) | |
| 外交大臣 | Foreign Secretary; (UK) Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | |
| 开国功臣 | outstanding founding minister (title given to reward loyal general or vassal of new dynast… | |
| 船政大臣 | Minister of Navy during Qing times | |
| 位极人臣 | to have reached the highest official positions | |
| 防卫大臣 | minister of defense (esp. in Japan) | |
| 财政大臣 | finance minister; UK chancellor of exchequer | |
| 财务大臣 | finance minister | |
| 内阁总理大臣 | formal title of the Japanese prime minister | |
| 大臣 | chancellor (of a monarchy); cabinet minister | |
| 臣子 | official in feudal court; subject | |
| 人臣 | an official (in former times) | |
| 家臣 | counselor of king or feudal warlord; henchman | |
| 文臣 | civilian court official (in former times) | |
| 臣下 | official in feudal court; subject | |
| 车臣 | Chechnya, a republic in southwestern Russia; Chechen | |
| 谋臣如雨 | strategic experts as thick as rain (idiom); no shortage of advisers on strategy | |
| 重臣 | important minister; major figure in government | |
| 臣民 | subject (of a kingdom, ruler etc) |
Sound family
These characters use 臣 as their sound component — compare how they read.
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 臣 sound part | minister, statesman, official, vassal | |
| 颐 | cheeks, jaw; chin; rear; to nourish |