晋见 (jìn jiàn) — to have an audience with (a superior)

Definition

Formal/literary verb meaning 'to have an audience with a superior' (e.g. a monarch). Used in historical or highly formal contexts — modern learners will mostly see it in texts about court life.

verb
to have an audience with (a superior)

Examples

  • 晋见。
    Tā zuó tiān jìn gōng jìn jiàn le huáng dì.
    He went to the palace yesterday to have an audience with the emperor.
  • 晋见。
    Dà chén men lún liú jìn jiàn guó wáng.
    The ministers took turns to have an audience with the king.
  • 晋见。
    Zhè cì jìn jiàn jī huì fēi cháng nán dé.
    This opportunity for an audience is very rare.

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.

晋jìnadvance
见jiànmeet

Advancing to meet a superior gives the sense of an audience.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 晉; 晋 is its simplified writing.

  • 臸臸zhīto arrive
  • 日日rìsun

The traditional form 晉 combines 臸, described as 'to arrive', with 日, 'sun'.

Open 晋 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 見; 见 is its simplified writing.

  • 目目mùeye
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The traditional form 見 pairs 目 (eye) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a kneeling figure with a large eye for a head. The simplified 见 is a later shorthand.

Open 见 →

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