皇帝
kōtei[ko̞ːte̞ː]
The Japanese word for emperor is 皇帝 (kōtei). Wiktionary also lists 帝王 (teiō) and 天皇 (tennō).
Meaning: ruler of an empire (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 皇帝 | kōtei | [ko̞ːte̞ː] (narrow) |
| 帝王 | teiō | [te̞ːo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 天皇 | tennō | [tẽ̞nːo̞ː] (narrow) [tẽ̞ŋko̞ː] (narrow) |
The term for emperor depends heavily on whether you are referring to the Emperor of Japan specifically or a general historical ruler. 天皇 is the most commonly used term for emperor and is the official way to refer to the emperor of Japan. In contrast, 皇帝 is used for emperors of other nations or in a general historical context (e.g., a Roman Emperor). For a more literary or grand sense, such as describing a powerful monarch or a 'king of kings' style figure, 帝王 may be used.
Which one should you use?
天皇 is used exclusively to refer to the Emperor of Japan. 帝王 has a more literary or grand connotation, often used to describe a powerful monarch or a 'king of kings' style figure.
How do you pronounce it?
kōtei
Did you know?
- The word 天皇 can be read as sumeragi, an ancient native Japanese term that existed before the Chinese writing system was adopted.
Examples in context
- 始馭天下之天皇The First Founding Emperor, His Majesty, the First Ruler of the LandThis sentence is useful for describing the First Founding Emperor or the First Ruler of the Land using 天皇.
- 天皇陛下万歳！Long live the Emperor!This sentence is a common way to say 'Long live the Emperor!' using 天皇.Tatoeba #569242 by Scott, translation #569233 by Scott
- 姫君は皇帝に寛恕を請いました。The princess begged forgiveness from the emperor.This sentence shows how to express begging forgiveness from an emperor using 皇帝.Tatoeba #75741 by mookeee, translation #327977 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about a historical movie they just watched.
- 結衣 Yuiあの映画の皇帝はとても強そうだったね。Ano eiga no koutei wa totemo tsuyosou datta ne.The emperor in that movie looked very strong.
- 健太 Kentaそうだね、彼は真の皇帝だったよ。Sou da ne, kare wa shin no koutei datta yo.That's true, he was a true emperor.
- 結衣 Yui健太さんは歴史の映画が好き？Kenta-san wa rekishi no eiga ga suki?Kenta, do you like historical movies?
- 健太 Kentaうん、すごく好きだよ。Un, sugoku suki da yo.Yeah, I like them a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “emperor” translations and entries 皇帝, 帝王, 天皇, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 天皇, 皇帝, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
