thượng thư
Definition
- Noun:
- Minister: The head of a ministry (or "bộ") in the feudal court system of Vietnam, such as during the Nguyễn dynasty. This was a high-ranking official position, equivalent to a senior secretary or a cabinet minister.
- Historical Title: A specific title for a senior administrative official in imperial Vietnam, responsible for a major department of state.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ấy từng giữ chức Thượng thư Bộ Lễ. (He once held the position of Minister of the Ministry of Rites.)
- Thượng thư là một chức quan quan trọng trong triều đình Huế. (A "Thượng thư" was an important mandarin in the Huế court.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily historical and used in the context of pre-modern Vietnamese governance. It is not used for modern government ministers, which are typically referred to as "Bộ trưởng."
Variants and Related Words
- Bộ: (n) Ministry, a major administrative department in the feudal court.
- Quan: (n) Mandarin, a general term for a government official in imperial Vietnam.
- Bộ trưởng: (n) Modern term for a government minister.
Synonyms
- Minister: A high-ranking official heading a government department.
- Secretary: In a historical administrative sense.
- Mandarin: A member of the historical imperial bureaucracy.
Related Terms
- Triều đình: (n) The royal court.
- Phong kiến: (adj) Feudal.
- Chức quan: (n) Official position.