功臣 (gōng chén) — (historical) minister who has rendered outstanding service to the emperor; (modern) key contributor, person who has made significant contributions
Definition
功臣 literally means 'meritorious minister' but is widely used today for any 'key contributor / hero' behind a success. Unlike 大臣, it does not denote an official title or rank — 大臣 is the office, 功臣 is the credit earned.
noun
(historical) minister who has rendered outstanding service to the emperor(modern) key contributorperson who has made significant contributions
Measure word · 位
Examples
- 功臣。Zhè wèi gōng chén wèi guó jiā zuò chū le jù dà gòng xiàn.This minister has made enormous contributions to the country.
- 功臣。Tā shì gōng sī fā zhǎn de zhòng yào gōng chén.He is a key contributor to the company's development.
- 功臣。Zhè cì bǐ sài de gōng chén shì jiào liàn.The hero of this competition is the coach.
Appears in
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