抄写员
chāoxiěyuán
In Chinese, 'scribe' is expressed as 抄写员 (chāoxiěyuán).
抄写员 is used to refer to a person who specializes in copying or transcribing documents by hand, acting as a copyist or draughtsman.
Meaning: one who writes, a draughtsman (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 抄 (to copy), 写 (to write) and 员 (person, member or specialist).
Which one should you use?
While 抄写员 refers specifically to a person whose job is to copy or transcribe existing text, the word 作家 refers to an author or writer of original works.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
chāoxiěyuán
Did you know?
- In ancient China, the professional equivalent of a scribe was often a highly respected official called a 史官, which literally means 'history official'.
- In traditional Chinese calligraphy, the act of copying a master's work, known as 临摹, is considered a vital spiritual and artistic discipline rather than mere clerical work.
- The first character in 抄写员, 抄, can also mean 'to pluck' or 'to pick' in contexts like picking flowers or stealing, adding a sense of 'extracting' text.
Examples in context
- 他以前是一名抄写员。Tā yǐqián shì yī míng chāoxiěyuán.He used to be a scribe.
- 这位抄写员非常细心。Zhè wèi chāoxiěyuán fēicháng xìxīn.This scribe is very meticulous.
- 我们需要找一名抄写员。Wǒmen xūyào zhǎo yī míng chāoxiěyuán.We need to find a scribe.
Example conversation
At a museum discussing historical professions.
- 梓涵 Zihan你能认出那个抄写员吗？Nǐ néng rèn chū nàge chāoxiěyuán ma?Can you recognize that scribe?
- 俊杰 Junjie不，我认不出他。Bù, wǒ rèn bù chū tā.No, I don't recognize him.
- 梓涵 Zihan他是一位著名的抄写员。Tā shì yī wèi zhùmíng de chāoxiěyuán.He was a famous scribe.
- 俊杰 Junjie原来如此，很有趣。Yuánlái rúcǐ, hěn yǒuqù.I see, that is very interesting.
