英雄
yīngxióng
The English word hero can be translated into Chinese as 英雄 (yīngxióng). If unsure, use 英雄. Wiktionary also lists 勇士 (yǒngshì).
Meaning: person of great bravery (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 英雄 | yīngxióng |
| 勇士 | yǒngshì |
The term refers to a person of great bravery.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 英雄 is composed of 英 (yīng), meaning 'outstanding' or 'brave' and 雄 (xióng), meaning 'powerful' or 'masculine'.
Which one should you use?
While 英雄 refers to a hero in a general or moral sense, 勇士 specifically emphasizes a person's physical bravery or a warrior-like quality.
How does it change in a sentence?
英雄 is a noun and does not change its form for plurality or grammatical case.
How do you pronounce it?
yīngxióng
Did you know?
- The character 英 (yīng) originally referred to the 'flower' or 'petal' of a plant, implying that a hero is the 'best part' of a person.
- The character 英 is also the phonetic transcription used for 'England' in Chinese, written as 英国.
- In traditional Chinese storytelling, a 'tragic hero' is often described as someone who 明知不可而爲之, meaning they do something even though they know it is impossible.
Examples in context
- 他不是英雄。He's not a hero.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone is not a hero using the form 英雄.Tatoeba #5613619 by verdastelo9604, translation #1815763 by Spamster
- 汤姆成了英雄。Tom became a hero.This sentence is useful for describing someone who became a hero using the form 英雄.Tatoeba #2028018 by ydcok, translation #1095813 by CK
- 你是我的英雄。You are my hero.This sentence is useful for telling someone they are your hero using the form 英雄.Tatoeba #3709591 by egg0073, translation #1617002 by Spamster
- 这位英勇的武士将永远被人们所铭记。This brave warrior will always be remembered by people.
- 我爷爷是我心中最伟大的英雄。My grandfather is the greatest hero in my heart.
- 蜘蛛侠是最受欢迎的超级英雄之一。Spider-Man is one of the most popular superheroes.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Jiayi are discussing a brave person in a news story.
- 伟 Wei那个救人的男人真是个英雄。Nàge jiù rén de nánrén zhēn shì gè yīngxióng.That man who saved the person is truly a hero.
- 佳怡 Jiayi没错，他非常勇敢。Méi cuò, tā fēicháng yǒnggǎn.That's right, he is very brave.
- 伟 Wei我想成为像他那样的英雄。Wǒ xiǎng chéngwéi xiàng tā nàyàng de yīngxióng.I want to become a hero like him.
- 佳怡 Jiayi伟，你已经很优秀了。Wěi, nǐ yǐjīng hěn yōuxiù le.Wei, you are already wonderful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hero” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
