Definition
衙门 (yá men) refers to the official government office or residence of a local magistrate in imperial China. It is a historical term with no modern equivalent — you'll encounter it in historical texts, dramas, and discussions of traditional Chinese bureaucracy. The word carries cultural connotations of authority, legal proceedings, and the distance between officials and common people.
n.
yamen (government office in imperial China)
Examples
- 衙门。Tā céng zài xiàn yá men dānrèn shīye.He once served as a private secretary at the county yamen.
- 衙门。Zhè zuò yá men shì Qīngcháo liú xià de gǔ jiànzhù.This yamen is an ancient building left from the Qing dynasty.
- 衙门。Gǔdài de lǎobǎixìng hěn shǎo zhíjiē zǒu jìn yá men.In ancient times, common people rarely walked directly into the yamen.
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