丞相 (chéng xiàng) — prime minister (in ancient China); chancellor (imperial China)

Definition

The highest-ranking civil minister who assisted the emperor in imperial China — equivalent to 'prime minister' or 'chancellor'. The title changed across dynasties (e.g. 宰相), but 丞相 names the specific office used in many of them.

noun
prime minister (in ancient China)chancellor (imperial China)
Measure word · 位
Easily confused

Examples

  • 丞相。
    Zhū gě liàng shì shǔ hàn zuì yǒu míng de chéng xiàng.
    Zhuge Liang was the most famous prime minister of Shu Han.
  • ，丞相。
    Zài qín cháo, chéng xiàng de zhí wèi fēi cháng yǒu quán.
    During the Qin dynasty, the position of chancellor was very powerful.
  • 丞相。
    Lì shǐ shū shàng jì zǎi le zhè wèi chéng xiàng de gōng guò.
    The history book records the merits and faults of this prime minister.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

丞chéngassistant official
相xiāngminister

丞 and 相 both name high officials, so together they refer to the chief minister of imperial China.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 卩卩jiékneeling person
  • 廾廾gǒngboth hands
  • 凵凵kǎnhole

The form 丞 shows 廾 (both hands) lifting 卩 (a kneeling person) from 凵 (a hole).

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

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