官吏

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 官吏(かんり) is a somewhat old or formal word for an official or administrator serving the state or a government office.
• Basic usage: It is used for a young official assigned to the provinces in a novel or for the duties of officials in history. Typical patterns are 若い官吏が登場する and 昔の官吏の職務.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Notice the historical context
  • It is more likely in historical explanation or period writing than in ordinary modern conversation.
• Difference from 公務員
  • 公務員(こうむいん) is the ordinary modern term for a public employee, while 官吏 has a stronger historical and literary tone of “official.”