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Kanji Detail for 臣 - "subject, minister, servant"
臣
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Meaning
臣 means "subject, minister, servant."
Subject - A person under authority.
Servant - One who serves.
Minister - A government official.
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Words using 臣
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大臣
だいじん
cabinet minister
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総理大臣
そうりだいじん
prime minister (as the head of a cabinet government); premier
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忠臣
ちゅうしん
loyal retainer; loyal subject
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国務大臣
こくむだいじん
minister of state; cabinet minister (in Japan)
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大臣
だいじん
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Four-character idioms with 臣
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乱臣賊子
らんしんぞくし
rebels against one's lord and one's parents; rebellious (treacherous) subject; traitor
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伴食大臣
ばんしょくだいじん
nominal (figurehead) minister; titular minister
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乱臣賊子
らんしんぞくし
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Origin of 臣
A pictograph of a wide, downcast eye — the servant's lowered gaze before the throne. The minister is defined by where he must not look.
How to remember it: A single downcast eye — the courtier keeping his eyes down before the king: the minister.
Sources: en.wiktionary.org · mojinavi.com
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Tattoo check: 臣
- Verified meaning: subject, minister, servant
- Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
- Used in real Japanese given names (read おのこ, おみ, しん, とみ)
A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.
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Name readings of 臣
Given names 臣(おみ)
臣(しん)
Surnames 臣(おのこ)
臣(とみ)
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Dictionary Citations
The meaning above is based on the following sources:
KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary
retainer; subject
Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters
minister, statesman, official; Kangxi radical 131
CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary
surname Chen
Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data
minister, statesman, official, vassal
XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary
A term for those who serve in a monarchy. Such as 重臣 (important minister), 名臣 (famous minister). | Those under one's authority are called 臣. Such as saying 臣僕 (servant), 臣妾 (female servant). Anciently, serving two ruling families was called 貳臣 (disloyal minister). | When ancients conversed, they often called themselves 臣. Like today's 僕 (I, humble).
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Onyomi
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Kunyomi
none -
Strokes
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Radical
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Related Keywords
Sentences including 臣
He resigned from the Cabinet.
He made his way to the minister.
The Prime Minister has resigned.
I spoke to the minister himself.
He was established as Foreign Minister.
He is the minister responsible for the environment.
The Prime Minister resigned yesterday.
He was appointed Minister of Finance.
He is just a minion of the minister.
The minister approved the building plans.