(archaic) carry out official duties; levy labor or taxes
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
(archaic) to perform official duties on behalf of the government; to levy corvée labor or collect taxes
archaicA historical term referring to the duties of low-level officials or agents in imperial China, such as recruiting laborers or collecting goods for the state. It is archaic and appears only in historical texts or period dramas.
Tā他
zài在
xiàn县
yá衙
lǐ里
zhuān专
mén门
bàn办
chāi差
，
fù负
zé责
cuī催
jiǎo缴
liáng粮
shuì税
。
He worked exclusively on official duties at the county office, responsible for pressing for grain tax payments.
Zhè这
běn本
xiǎo小
shuō说
miáo描
xiě写
le了
Qīng清
dài代
xiǎo小
lì吏
bàn办
chāi差
de的
jiān艰
xīn辛
。
This novel depicts the hardships of minor officials carrying out their duties during the Qing dynasty.
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Bàn办
chāi差
de的
guān官
rén人
āi挨
jiā家
āi挨
hù户
dì地
zhēng征
jí集
mín民
fū夫
qù去
xiū修
hé河
dī堤
。
The officials performing their duties went door-to-door to conscript laborers to repair the river embankment.