王朝
wángcháo
The English word 'dynasty' can be translated into Chinese as 王朝 (wángcháo). Wiktionary also lists 朝 (cháo) and 王家 (wángjiā).
Meaning: a series of rulers or dynasts from one family (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 王朝 | wángcháo |
| 朝 | cháo |
| 王家 | wángjiā |
The term 王朝 refers to a series of rulers or dynasts from one family. You may also use 王家 when referring to a specific royal family or house rather than the abstract political concept of a dynasty.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 王朝 is composed of 王, which means 'king' or 'monarch' and 朝, which means 'dynasty' or 'court'.
Which one should you use?
While 王朝 is the general noun for 'dynasty', the character 朝 is more commonly used when naming a specific historical period. 王家 differs from the others as it refers to the royal family itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The single character 朝 is often used as a suffix to name specific historical dynasties, such as in 唐朝 (Tang dynasty).
How do you pronounce it?
wángcháo
Did you know?
- Chinese history is often divided by the 'Dynastic Cycle', where a dynasty is said to lose the 'Mandate of Heaven'. This makes the word 王朝 a symbol of divine legitimacy, not just family rule.
- While 王朝 means 'dynasty', the character 朝 also means 'morning'. This link exists because ancient court audiences were held at dawn.
- In ancient scripts, the components of 朝 suggested a visual scene of the sun rising above the ground while a waning moon was still visible in the sky. This beautiful natural imagery originally represented the transition of time.
Examples in context
- 在商朝，貝朋為通用貨幣。Seashells were the legal tender in the Shang dynasty.This sentence is useful for using the form 朝 to refer to the Shang dynasty.Tatoeba #6039669 by xjjAstrus, translation #8732707 by Ada_Virus
- 最早的琵琶大约在秦朝时期发明的。The first lute was invented during the Qin dynasty.This sentence is useful for using the form 朝 to refer to the Qin dynasty.Tatoeba #815710 by U2FS, translation #9402015 by BobbyLee
- 那个王朝的历史非常丰富有趣。The history of that dynasty is very rich and interesting.
- 我们在历史课上学习了不同朝代的文化。We studied the culture of different dynasties in history class.
- 清朝是一个强大的王朝。Qīng cháo shì yī gè qiáng dà de wáng cháo.The Qing dynasty was a powerful dynasty.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a history project in the library.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你最喜欢哪个王朝？Nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎge wángcháo?Which dynasty do you like the most?
- 俊杰 Junjie我最喜欢唐朝。Wǒ zuì xǐhuān Tángcháo.I like the Tang dynasty the most.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那个王朝的文化非常发达。Nàge wángcháo de wénhuà fēicháng fādá.That dynasty's culture was very developed.
- 俊杰 Junjie没错，所以我想研究它。Méicuò, suǒyǐ wǒ xiǎng yánjiū tā.Exactly, that's why I want to study it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dynasty” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 朝, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
