皇太子
kōtaishi[ko̞ːta̠iɕi]
The English phrase 'crown prince' is translated into Japanese as 皇太子 (kōtaishi). Wiktionary also lists 王太子 (ōtaishi).
Meaning: next king (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 皇太子 | kōtaishi | [ko̞ːta̠iɕi] (narrow) |
| 王太子 | ōtaishi | [o̞ːta̠iɕi] (narrow) |
皇太子 is the standard term used in both historical and modern contexts when referring to the Japanese Imperial succession.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 皇太子 is composed of three characters: 皇 (emperor), 太 (great/grand) and 子 (child/son), literally meaning 'the great son of the emperor'.
Which one should you use?
Use 皇太子 specifically for the heir to a Japanese Emperor, whereas 王太子 is used for the heir to a King in other monarchies.
How do you pronounce it?
kōtaishi
Did you know?
- Historically, a person could be named 皇太子 even if they were not the biological son of the Emperor, as the title was often granted to adopted heirs to ensure a stable succession.
- The character 子 in 皇太子 is read as 'shi' in this title, but when it appears as a suffix for imperial princesses, it is read as 'ko'. This means the same character changes pronunciation based on the gender and status of the royal person.
- In Japanese media, if a story uses the term 王太子 instead of 皇太子, it is a clear signal to the audience that the setting is a Western-style fantasy or a foreign kingdom rather than a story about Japan.
Examples in context
- 大正12年12月27日に皇太子が難波大助に狙撃された。On December 27th of the 12th year of the Taisho era, the crown prince was shot at by Nanba Daisuke.This sentence is useful for seeing the historical use of 皇太子.Tatoeba #833067 by Scott, translation #890391 by Scott
- あの方は今、日本の 皇太子 です。That person is currently the crown prince of Japan.
- お目にかかれて光栄です、 皇太子殿下 。It is an honor to meet you, Crown Prince.
- その国の皇太子はとても聡明だ。Sono kuni no kōtaishi wa totemo sōmei da.The crown prince of that country is very intelligent.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are discussing a news report about royalty.
- 蓮 Renニュースで皇太子を見た？nyuusu de koutaishi o mita?Did you see the crown prince on the news?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、とても格好よかったね。un, totemo kakko yokatta ne.Yes, he looked very cool.
- 蓮 Ren本当に気品がある人だね。hontou ni kihin ga aru hito da ne.He is truly a person of elegance.
- 美咲 Misakiきっと立派な王になるわ。kitto rippa na ou ni naru wa.I'm sure he will be a great king.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crown prince” translations and entries 皇太子, 王太子, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
