san4臣
Jyutpingsan4
Yalesàhn
Definition
A state official or minister who serves a monarch.
writtenpeople
How it's used
This term is almost exclusively used in historical contexts or when discussing traditional monarchical systems. It carries a heavy sense of hierarchy and historical weight, making it feel very out of place in modern professional settings. You will encounter it most frequently in period dramas or when describing historical figures.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
In ancient times, officials had to be absolutely loyal to the emperor.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this to refer to modern government officials, but it is strictly reserved for subjects serving a monarch. For contemporary government roles, use 官員 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
