Quan
Definition
- Noun:
- Mandarin / Official: A historical term for a government official or bureaucrat in feudal Vietnam, holding administrative, judicial, or military authority. This term is specific to the pre-modern, monarchical system.
- Unit of Currency (archaic):
- A historical unit of Vietnamese currency, equivalent to ten tiền.
- A historical unit of weight, equal to the weight of sixty zinc coins.
- (Obsolete) A term formerly used to refer to the French Franc.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Official):
- Các quan trong triều thảo luận việc nước. (The mandarins in the court discussed state affairs.)
- Ông ấy được bổ nhiệm làm quan tổng đốc của tỉnh. (He was appointed as the provincial governor official.)
- Noun (Currency, archaic):
- Một quan tiền thời xưa có giá trị rất lớn. (One quan of money had great value in the old days.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in historical or literary contexts. In modern administrative language, words like (civil servant) or (official) are used instead.
- It can be part of fixed titles, e.g., (civil mandarin), (military mandarin).
Variants and Related Words
- Quan lại (n): The collective term for the mandarinate, the entire body of officials.
- Chế độ quan lại thời phong kiến rất phức tạp. (The mandarin system in the feudal period was very complex.)
- Quan chức (n): A modern term for a government official or functionary.
- Các quan chức cấp cao đã tham dự hội nghị. (The high-ranking officials attended the conference.)
Synonyms
- Official / Mandarins: For the historical government officer meaning.
- Franc: For the obsolete currency meaning.
Related Idioms
- Quan tha ma bắt: A proverb meaning "It's better to deal with God than with his saints," implying it's easier to deal with the highest authority than with their corrupt or difficult subordinates.
- Gặp trực tiếp giám đốc còn dễ hơn, đúng là quan tha ma bắt. (It's easier to meet the director directly; it's true that it's better to deal with God than with his saints.)
- Làm quan: To become/hold the position of a mandarin/official.
- Ngày xưa, đỗ đạt cao là để làm quan. (In the past, achieving high academic results was to become a mandarin.)