大だい臣じん

だ

い

じ

ん

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

Refers to a high-ranking government official in charge of a ministry or holding a cabinet-level post, as in 外務大臣 or 財務大臣.

彼かの女じょは環かん境きょう大だい臣じんに任にん命めいされた。
She was appointed Minister of the Environment.
大だい臣じんは記き者しゃ会かい見けんで新あたらしい方ほう針しんを説せつ明めいした。
The minister explained the new policy at a press conference.

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Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が大だい臣じんに任にん命めいされるto be appointed as a minister
彼かれは先せん月げつ、財ざい務む大だい臣じんに任にん命めいされた。
He was appointed finance minister last month.
大だい臣じんを務つとめるto serve as a minister
彼かの女じょは5年ねん間かん、外がい務む大だい臣じんを務つとめた。
She served as foreign minister for five years.
大だい臣じんを辞じ任にんするto resign as a minister
スキャンダルの後あと、大だい臣じんを辞じ任にんした。
He resigned as minister after the scandal.
〈人ひと〉が大だい臣じんになるfor someone to become a minister
彼かれはいつか大だい臣じんになりたいと言いっている。
He says he wants to become a minister someday.

Kanji

大large, big
臣retainer, subject

Related words· 7

首しゅ相しょうN4
首相 means the prime minister, the head of government, while 大臣 refers to any cabinet minister who may or may not be the top leader.
閣かく僚りょうN1
閣僚 is a more formal, collective term for cabinet members used in news reports, whereas 大臣 is the everyday word used in actual ministerial titles.
卿きょう
大臣 is the modern term for a cabinet minister, while 卿 is its historical counterpart used under the ritsuryō system.
長ちょう官かんN1
大臣 is a cabinet minister who oversees policy at the ministerial level, while 長官 is the head of a subordinate agency or bureau, often reporting to a 大臣.

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相しょうN2
大臣 is the standard, full word for 'minister' used in official titles like 外務大臣, while 相 is a suffix used to form abbreviated titles like 外相.
国こく務む大だい臣じん
大臣 is the general everyday word for a government minister, while 国務大臣 is the formal constitutional title used for members of the Japanese Cabinet.
労ろう相しょう
大臣 is the general word for any cabinet minister, while 労相 specifies the minister in charge of labor policy.

Don't confuse with· 5

大たい使しN3
大使 means ambassador, a diplomatic post representing a country abroad, while 大臣 is a cabinet minister running a government ministry at home.
家か臣しん
家臣 means a feudal retainer or vassal serving a lord, sharing the kanji 臣 with 大臣 but referring to a historical role, not a modern cabinet post.
次じ官かん
大臣 is a full cabinet minister, while 次官 is the deputy who serves just below the minister, so learners often mix up their rank.

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大おお神かみ
大神 read as だいじん is an archaic word for 'great god', while 大臣 (だいじん) means 'government minister' — the two are easily confused since they share this reading.
宰さい相しょう
大臣 is a general term for a cabinet minister, while 宰相 specifically means the head of that cabinet, the prime minister.

Word family· 9

国こく務む大だい臣じん
minister of state; cabinet minister
総そう理り大だい臣じんN2
prime minister; premier
副ふく大だい臣じん
vice minister; senior vice minister
大だい臣じん柱ばしら
downstage left pillar (Noh stage)
主しゅ務む大だい臣じん
the cabinet minister in charge; competent minister

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伴ばん食しょく大だい臣じん
figurehead minister; titular minister
担たん当とう大だい臣じん
cabinet minister; minister in charge · Minister of State for Special Missions
大だい臣じん政せい務む官かん
parliamentary secretary
無む任にん所しょ大だい臣じん
minister without portfolio

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound written with 大, meaning 'great' or 'major', and 臣, meaning 'minister' or 'retainer'; the spelling directly matches the official-government sense.