Sinograph Addenda · Signs
minister
| Name | minister |
|---|---|
| Reads | chén |
| Means | minister, subject, servant |
| Taught in | 01 · The sentence without a verb |
Where it comes from
An eye stood on end — the classic account: the eye of a bowed head, glancing upward at the master. From “servant” the word climbed to the minister’s title; before an emperor, officials of every rank say 臣 where we would say “I”. Taught in the verbless-sentence chapter.
How to remember it
Bow the head and the eye turns vertical: the minister, watching upward.
In the wild
urn:nabu:kanripo:KR1h0004:003:20a · license: attribution.