达官贵人 (dá guān guì rén) — high officials and notables; VIPs

Definition

A formal, literary phrase for 'high officials and aristocrats' — the powerful elite of traditional Chinese society. Used in historical or written contexts, not everyday speech.

noun
high officials and notablesVIPs

Examples

  • 达官贵人，。
    Zhè chǎng yàn huì zhī yāo qǐng le dá guān guì rén, pǔ tōng rén jìn bú qù.
    This banquet only invited VIPs; ordinary people can't get in.
  • ，达官贵人。
    Zài gǔ dài, dá guān guì rén de shēng huó yǔ bǎi xìng jié rán bù tóng.
    In ancient times, the lives of high officials and nobles were completely different from those of common people.
  • 达官贵人，。
    Tā chū shēn yú dá guān guì rén zhī jiā, què cóng bú xuàn yào.
    He comes from a family of high officials and notables, but never shows off.

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.

达官prominent officials
达dáprominent官guānofficial
偏正Modifier + head
贵人noble people
贵guìnoble人rénperson
偏正Modifier + head

达官 means prominent officials and 贵人 means noble people, together referring to high-ranking VIPs.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
大
大dà达dá
Same sound today

This form 达 pairs 辶 (written in full as 辵) with 大 as a sound component.

Open 达 →

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.