About
The character "尉" originally depicted an act of pressing or smoothing with fire, as its traditional form incorporates components suggesting a hand ("寸") applying heat (from an altered form of "火", fire) to an object (the "尸" component, likely representing cloth or a surface). This concrete action gave rise to its early meaning related to the process of ironing fabric. Over time, this sense of applying pressure and control was metaphorically extended into the social and administrative sphere, where it came to denote an official who maintains order or settles affairs. This semantic shift solidified as the character was adopted as a title for a specific class of military and judicial officers charged with pacification and law enforcement, such as a commandant or magistrate, which became its primary meaning.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我哥哥是陆军中尉。
尉迟先生是我们的老师。
那位尉官很年轻。
他被晋升为上尉了。
尉官们在会议室开会。
在军队中，尉级军官负责指挥小队。
尉迟家族在历史上很有名。
经过严格训练，他终于成为了特种部队的尉官。