判官 (pàn guān) — presiding judge (modern legal title); (Chinese mythology) judge in the underworld

Definition

A 'judge' in two distinct domains: the modern presiding judge (a legal title, used in contemporary courtrooms), and the underworld judge in Chinese mythology who passes sentence on the dead.

noun
presiding judge (modern legal title)(Chinese mythology) judge in the underworld

Examples

  • 判官。
    Zhè wèi pàn guān fù zé shěn lǐ zhè qǐ zhòng dà àn jiàn.
    This presiding judge is responsible for hearing this major case.
  • 判官。
    Chuán shuō zhōng dì yù de pàn guān huì gēn jù shēng qián de shàn è zuò chū pàn jué.
    In legend, the judges of hell render verdicts based on one's good and evil deeds during life.
  • ，判官。
    Tā kè kǔ xué xí fǎ lǜ, xī wàng jiāng lái néng chéng wéi yì míng pàn guān.
    He studies law diligently, hoping to become a presiding judge in the future.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

判pànjudge
官guānofficial

判 (judge) and 官 (official) together mean an official who judges.

Characters in this word

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
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
半
半bàn判pàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

判 combines 刀, a knife, with 半, which provides the sound.

Open 判 →

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

  • 宀宀mián
  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤

官 pairs 宀, a roof, with 𠂤, rooms beneath it, to depict an official building.

Open 官 →

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