臣 (chén): state official or subject in dynastic China, I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign), Kangxi radical 131
臣 (chén) is a Chinese character meaning “state official or subject in dynastic china.” Classified as HSK Level 6 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 匚 (structural). It ranks #1136 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Definitions
- state official or subject in dynastic China
- I, your servant (used in addressing the sovereign)
- Kangxi radical 131
Stroke Order
Practice writing 臣 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 臣
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 车臣 | chē chén | Chechnya, a republic in southwestern Russia |
| 臣服 | chén fú | to acknowledge allegiance to (some regime) |
| 臣民 | chén mín | subject (of a kingdom, ruler etc) |
| 功臣 | gōng chén | meritorious official |
| 忠臣 | zhōng chén | faithful official |
| 俯首称臣 | fǔ shǒu chēng chén | to bow before (idiom) |
| 家臣 | jiā chén | counselor of king or feudal warlord |
| 臣子 | chén zǐ | official in feudal court |
| 李舜臣 | lǐ shùn chén | Yi Sunshin (1545-1598), Korean admiral and folk hero, famous for sea victories over the Japanese invaders |
| 外交大臣 | wài jiāo dà chén | Foreign Secretary |
| 弄臣 | nòng chén | emperor's favorite courtier |
| 奸臣 | jiān chén | a treacherous court official |
| 名臣 | míng chén | important official or statesman (in feudal China) |
| 一朝天子一朝臣 | yī cháo tiān zǐ yī cháo chén | new emperor, new officials (idiom) |
| 臣一主二 | chén yī zhǔ èr | One has the right to choose the ruler one serves. (ancient proverb) |
臣 appears in 53 compound words: 19 as the first character, 72 as the last, and 9 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 臣 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (11)
TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi (1536-1598), Japanese warlord, undisputed ruler of Japan 1590-1598
strategic experts as thick as rain (idiom); no shortage of advisers on strategy
lit. fish bone of a minister (idiom); fig. person one can rely on for candid criticism
TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi (1536-1598), Japanese warlord, undisputed ruler of Japan 1590-1598
lit. fish bone of a minister (idiom); fig. person one can rely on for candid criticism
strategic experts as thick as rain (idiom); no shortage of advisers on strategy
Example Sentences
这个臣字的意思与它的部首有关。
zhè gě chén zì de yì sī yú tā de bù shǒu yǒu guān .
The meaning of the character "臣" is related to its radical.
北市推育儿减少工时计画 江启臣和杨琼璎都提自己政见
běi shì tuī yù ér jiǎn shǎo gōng shí jì huà jiāng qǐ chén hé yáng 琼 璎 dōu tí zì jǐ zhèng jiàn
Beijing City promotes childcare to reduce working hours plan Jiang Qichen and Yang Qiongying both put forward their political views
范逸臣寒风守候 田中千绘甜喊很幸福
fàn yì chén hán fēng shǒu hòu tián zhōng qiān huì tián hǎn hěn xìng fú
Fan Yichen waited in the cold wind, and Chie Tanaka shouted sweetly that he was very happy
民调前夕 江启臣固桩本命区 杨琼璎端政绩
mín diào qián xī jiāng qǐ chén gù zhuāng běn mìng qū yáng 琼 璎 duān zhèng jì
On the eve of the polls, Jiang Qichen solidified the pile of the natal district Yang Qiongying's political achievements
阿曼外交大臣:美伊下一轮谈判将于26日在日内瓦举行
ā 曼 wài jiāo dà chén : měi yī xià yī lún tán pàn jiāng yú 2 6 rì zài rì nèi wǎ jǔ háng
Oman Foreign Minister: The next round of negotiations between the United States and Iran will be held in Geneva on the 26th
川伯赠“铁锤”盼建设台中! 江启臣:北中联手
chuān bó zèng tiě chuí pàn jiàn shè tái zhōng ! jiāng qǐ chén : běi zhōng lián shǒu
Chuan Bo gave a "hammer" to build Taichung! Jiang Qichen: Beijing and China join forces
良禽择木而栖，贤臣择主而事。
Liángqínzémù'érqī, xián chén zé zhǔ ér shì.
A prudent bird chooses its tree. A wise servant chooses his master.
领主对他的臣民有绝对权力。
Lǐngzhǔ duì tā de chénmín yǒu juéduìquán lì.
The lord held absolute power over his subjects.
我们要选择是死亡还是臣服。
Wǒmen yào xuǎnzé shì sǐwáng háishi chénfú.
We have the alternative of death and submission.
我的梦想是在格罗兹尼学习车臣语。
Wǒ de mèngxiǎng shì zài Géluózīní xuéxí Chēchén yǔ.
My dream is to study Chechen in Grozny.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 臣 (chén) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 臣 have?
What is the radical of 臣?
What are the components of 臣?
What are common words containing 臣?
What characters sound the same as 臣 (chén)?
Is 臣 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 臣 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.