奴才 (nú cái) — slave, servant (especially in imperial contexts, e.g., Qing dynasty); lackey, toady, servile person (figurative, derogatory)
Definition
Historical self-reference used by officials addressing the emperor in imperial China, especially the Qing dynasty. Figuratively, it means 'servile toady' — a strong, derogatory insult for someone who flatters power.
noun
slaveservant (especially in imperial contexts, e.g., Qing dynasty)lackeytoadyservile person (figurative, derogatory)
Examples
- 奴才。Gǔ dài de nú cái méi yǒu zì yóu.Slaves in ancient times had no freedom.
- 奴才，。Tā duì lǎo bǎn de tài dù xiàng gè nú cái, zhēn ràng rén bù shū fu.His attitude toward the boss is like a lackey, really uncomfortable.
- ，奴才。Zài qīng cháo, guān yuán cháng zài huáng dì miàn qián zì chēng nú cái.In the Qing dynasty, officials often called themselves 'slave' before the emperor.
Appears in
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