卿 (qīng) - Minister, high official & noble title

卿Tone 1

qīng ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

器情

卿 · qīng

Minister, high official;

noble title;

term of endearment between spouses or close friends in classical Chinese.

Minister, high officialnoble titleterm of endearment between spouses or close friends

Usage highlights

High ministerAffectionate addressMinister rankLove my loveState ministerChief minister

Synonyms

  • 臣— minister, official
  • 官— official

Antonyms

  • 民— common people
  • 仆— servant

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He served as a high minister (卿相) in the imperial court.
  • In ancient times, 'my love' was expressed as 卿卿.
  • The emperor appointed him as a minister (任命为卿).
  • They addressed each other affectionately as 卿 in letters.

Collocations

  • High minister(卿相)
  • Affectionate address(卿卿)
  • Minister rank(卿位)
  • Love my love(卿卿我我)
  • State minister(国卿)
  • Chief minister(正卿)

Idioms

  • Mutual affection between lovers(卿卿我我)
  • Pacify the barbarians with courtesies(礼卿靖夷)
  • The minister's solemn duty(卿士之责)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally a high-ranking official title in Zhou dynasty bureaucracy.
  • Later became an intimate form of address between spouses, especially in aristocratic families.
  • In imperial China, the 'Nine Ministers' (九卿) formed the core of central government administration.

FAQ