秘室 (mì shì) — (historical) private meeting room for government officials; secret chamber (for administrators)

Definition

A historical term for a private, often hidden room where officials met to discuss confidential affairs — typically within an imperial palace or government office.

noun
(historical) private meeting room for government officialssecret chamber (for administrators)
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，秘室。
    Huáng dì zhào jiàn dà chén shí, cháng zài mì shì lǐ shāng yì jī mì zhī shì.
    When the emperor summoned his ministers, he often discussed confidential matters in the secret chamber.
  • 秘室，。
    Zhè fèn wén jiàn xū yào sòng jìn mì shì, yóu zhuān rén guǎn lǐ.
    This document needs to be sent into the secret chamber and managed by a designated person.
  • ，秘室。
    Lì shǐ shàng, xǔ duō zhòng yào de jué cè dōu shì zài mì shì lǐ zuò chū de.
    Historically, many important decisions were made in the secret chamber.

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.

秘mìsecret; private
室shìroom

A 室 kept 秘 served as a private meeting room for officials.

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
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
必
必bì秘Bì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 必 part gives 秘 its sound. The 禾 side replaced an older ritual marker, linking it to secret rituals and arcane meaning.

Open 秘 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
至
至zhì室shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

室 puts 宀 (roof) over 至, the spot where someone stops, giving the meaning of a house or residence.

Open 室 →

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