| 臣 | chén | state official or subject in dynastic China; "Your Servant", form of address used when speaking to a ruler; to submit oneself to the rule of or acknowledge allegiance to; to serve a ruler as his subject; Kangxi radical 168; surname Chen |
| 大臣 | dà chén | chancellor (of a monarchy); cabinet minister |
| 臣民 | chén mín | subject (of a kingdom, ruler etc) |
| 功臣 | gōng chén | minister who has given outstanding service |
| 奸臣 | jiān chén | a treacherous court official; a minister who conspires against the state |
| 臣妾 | chén qiè | male and female servants |
| 臣服 | chén fú | to acknowledge allegiance to (some regime); to serve |
| 臣子 | chén zǐ | official in feudal court; subject |
| 人臣 | rén chén | an official (in former times) |
| 内臣 | nèi chén | chamberlain |
| 内阁总理大臣 | Nèi gé Zǒng lǐ Dà chén | formal title of the Japanese prime minister |
| 史臣 | shǐ chén | official in charge of public records |
| 名臣 | míng chén | important official or statesman (in feudal China) |
| 君臣 | jūn chén | a ruler and his ministers (old) |
| 吴任臣 | Wú Rèn chén | Wu Renchen (1628-1689), Qing dynasty polymath and historian, author of History of Ten States of South China 十国春秋 |
| 外交大臣 | wài jiāo dà chén | Foreign Secretary; (UK) Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs |
| 家臣 | jiā chén | counselor of king or feudal warlord; henchman |
| 宠臣 | chǒng chén | favored minister |
| 微臣 | wēi chén | this small official; humble servant |
| 掌玺大臣 | zhǎng xǐ dà chén | chancellor (rank in various European states); grand chancellor |
| 文臣 | wén chén | civilian court official (in former times) |
| 朝臣 | cháo chén | court councilor |
| 李舜臣 | Lǐ Shùn chén | Yi Sunshin (1545-1598), Korean admiral and folk hero, famous for sea victories over the Japanese invaders |
| 柄臣 | bǐng chén | powerful official; big shot |
| 争臣 | zhēng chén | minister not afraid to give forthright criticism |
| 臣一主二 | chén yī zhǔ èr | One has the right to choose the ruler one serves. (古谚 ancient proverb) |
| 臣下 | chén xià | official in feudal court; subject |
| 臣仆 | chén pú | servant |
| 臣僚 | chén liáo | court official (in former times) |
| 臣属 | chén shǔ | official in feudal court; subject |
| 臣虏 | chén lǔ | slave |
| 船政大臣 | chuán zhèng dà chén | Ministry of Navy during Qing times |
| 诤臣 | zhèng chén | official who dares speak frankly before the emperor |
| 谋臣 | móu chén | imperial strategic adviser; expert on strategy |
| 谋臣如雨 | móu chén rú yǔ | strategic experts as thick as rain (idiom); no shortage of advisers on strategy |
| 谋臣武将 | móu chén wǔ jiàng | strategic experts and powerful generals (idiom) |
| 谋臣猛将 | móu chén měng jiàng | strategic experts and powerful generals (idiom) |
| 丰臣秀吉 | Fēng chén Xiù jí | TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi (1536-1598), Japanese warlord, undisputed ruler of Japan 1590-1598 |
| 财务大臣 | cái wù dà chén | finance minister |
| 财政大臣 | cái zhèng dà chén | finance minister; UK chancellor of exchequer |
| 贰臣 | èr chén | turncoat official |
| 车臣 | Chē chén | Chechnya, a Russian region in the Caucasus; Chechen |
| 近臣 | jìn chén | member of a monarch's inner ministerial circle (old) |
| 逆臣 | nì chén | rebellious minister |
| 重臣 | zhòng chén | important minister; major figure in government |
| 开国功臣 | kāi guó gōng chén | outstanding founding minister (title given to reward loyal general or vassal of new dynasty or state) |
| 防卫大臣 | fáng wèi dà chén | minister of defense (esp. in Japan) |
| 骨鲠之臣 | gǔ gěng zhī chén | lit. fish bone of a minister (idiom); fig. person one can rely on for candid criticism |
