主仆 (zhǔ pú) — master and servant (as a relationship or pair)

Definition

A fixed pair referring to the master-and-servant relationship, usually in a historical or literary context. Used to describe a social hierarchy, not a single person.

noun
master and servant (as a relationship or pair)

Examples

  • 主仆。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le zhǔ pú zhī jiān de fù zá guān xì.
    This novel describes the complex relationship between master and servant.
  • ，主仆，。
    Zài gǔ dài, zhǔ pú dì wèi xuán shū, hěn shǎo píng děng duì huà.
    In ancient times, master and servant had vastly different statuses and rarely had equal dialogue.
  • 主仆，。
    Tā men suī rán shì zhǔ pú, dàn bǐ cǐ hěn xìn rèn.
    Although they are master and servant, they trust each other a lot.

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.

主zhǔmaster
仆púservant

主 “master” and 仆 “servant” are parallel roles forming the pair.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
卜
卜bǔ仆pú
Same sound today

The left side 人 marks the character as related to a person, and the right side 卜 gives its sound.

Open 仆 →

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