Usage of the character 衙
yá
衙
[衙]
- office
- yamen 衙門／衙门
Yá
衙
[衙]
- surname Ya
yáyì
衙役
[衙役]
- bailiff of feudal yamen
yámen
衙门
[衙門]
- government office in feudal China
- yamen
yánèi
衙内
[衙內]
- child of an official
- palace bodyguard
yáshǔ
衙署
[衙署]
- government office in feudal China
- yamen
zǒnglǐyámen
总理衙门
[總理衙門]
- the Qing dynasty equivalent of the Foreign Office
tiědǎdeyámen,liúshuǐdeguān
铁打的衙门，流水的官
[鐵打的衙門，流水的官]
- lit. the yamen is strong as iron, the officials flow like water (idiom)
- fig. government officials come and go