Definition
官吏 (guān lì) refers specifically to government officials in ancient China, covering both high-ranking 官 and lower-ranking 吏. It is a historical term, unlike modern 官员 (guān yuán) 'official' or 公务员 (gōng wù yuán) 'civil servant'. 官 (guān) is broader and can be used for both ancient and modern officials.
noun
bureaucratofficial (in ancient China)
Easily confused
- 管理guǎn lǐsound-aliketo manage; to administer; to supervise
- 惯例guàn lìsound-alikeconvention, usual practice
Examples
- 官吏。Zhèxiē guān lì fùzé guǎnlǐ dìfāng shìwù.These officials were responsible for managing local affairs.
- 官吏。Gǔdài guān lì de xuǎnbá fēicháng yángé.The selection of ancient officials was very strict.
- 官吏。Qīngguān shì bǎixìng duì hǎo guān lì de chēnghu.Qingguan is the people's term for a good official.
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