衙

yá

亍 + 吾 + 彳

Definitions

yá (noun) government office; yamen (in feudal China)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 行 represents the meaning and 吾 represents the sound.

Semantic: 行 Phonetic: 吾

About

衙 is a phono-semantic compound: 行, meaning 'walking' or 'crossroads,' is split down the middle and frames the sound component 吾 in the center. Originally, it referred to the mobile pavilions or orderly marching formations used by ancient military generals and officials during their patrols and travels. Over time, the meaning shifted to the permanent government office buildings and judicial courts where civil servants and magistrates conducted administrative business, held trials, and managed the affairs of the local population.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这座衙门很古老。

Zhè zuò yámen hěn gǔlǎo.

This yamen is very ancient.

衙门的守卫很严格。

Yámen de shǒuwèi hěn yángé.

The guards of the yamen are very strict.

古代官员在衙门办公。

Gǔdài guānyuán zài yámen bàngōng.

Ancient officials worked in the yamen.

这座衙门经过多次修缮。

Zhè zuò yámen jīngguò duō cì xiūshàn.

This yamen has been repaired many times.

衙役们每天在衙门里巡逻。

Yáyì men měi tiān zài yámen lǐ xúnluó.

The yamen runners patrol in the yamen every day.

参观这座衙门可以了解古代司法制度。

Cānguān zhè zuò yámen kěyǐ liǎojiě gǔdài sīfǎ zhìdù.

Visiting this yamen can help understand the ancient judicial system.

虽然这座衙门已经破旧，但它仍然具有历史价值。

Suīrán zhè zuò yámen yǐjīng pòjiù, dàn tā réngrán jùyǒu lìshǐ jiàzhí.

Although this yamen is already dilapidated, it still has historical value.

为了保护这座珍贵的衙门，政府决定对其进行全面的修复。

Wèile bǎohù zhè zuò zhēnguì de yámen, zhèngfǔ juédìng duì qí jìnxíng quánmiàn de xiūfù.

In order to protect this precious yamen, the government decided to carry out a comprehensive restoration on it.

Related Characters

Component: 亍

Component: 吾

Component: 彳

衙