地方法官
dìfāng fǎguān
The English word 'magistrate' is translated into Chinese as 地方法官 (dìfāng fǎguān). Wiktionary also lists 裁判官 (cáipànguān) and 推事 (tuīshì).
Meaning: judicial officer (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 地方法官 | dìfāng fǎguān | |
| 裁判官 | cáipànguān | |
| 推事 | tuīshì | Malaysia, Singapore |
A magistrate is a judicial officer. The word 法官 (fǎguān) can be used on its own to mean 'judge' in a general sense.
Which one should you use?
裁判官 is another way to express the concept of a judicial officer.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, 'magistrate' is referred to as 縣長 (xiànzhǎng). In Malaysia and Singapore, the term 推事 (tuīshì) is used specifically to refer to a magistrate.
How do you pronounce it?
dìfāng fǎguān
Did you know?
- In ancient China, a local magistrate was often called the 父母官 (fùmǔguān), meaning 'father and mother official'. This reflected their role as the primary protector and provider for their district.
- The character 裁 in 裁判官 (cáipànguān) literally means 'to cut' or 'to tailor'. This reflects the ancient idea that a judge 'cuts' a decision to fit the law.
- In modern Mandarin, the word for a sports referee is 裁判 (cáipàn), which is derived from the same root as the term for a judicial officer.
Examples in context
- 县长County head
Example conversation
Junjie and Xiaowen are discussing a legal matter at the courthouse.
- 俊杰 Junjie晓雯，地方法官到了吗？Xiǎowén, dìfāng fǎguān dào le ma?Xiaowen, has the magistrate arrived?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen还没到，请在外面等候。Hái méi dào, qǐng zài wàimiàn děnghòu.Not yet, please wait outside.
- 俊杰 Junjie这次地方法官会怎么判？Zhè cì dìfāng fǎguān huì zěnme pàn?How will the magistrate rule this time?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我也不确定，得看证据。Wǒ yě bù quèdìng, děi kàn zhèngjù.I'm not sure either, it depends on the evidence.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “magistrate” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
