官吏 guānlì bureaucrat
bureaucrat; official
How to remember 官吏: 官 official + 吏 official = bureaucrat.
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How it is used
- An old/historical word for government officials collectively - 封建社会的官吏 (fēngjiàn shèhuì de guānlì) officials of feudal society.
- Dated register: used for imperial-era bureaucrats or in literary/historical texts, often with a negative shade (贪官污吏 corrupt officials).
- For modern officials use 官员 (guānyuán); 官吏 sounds archaic in contemporary news.