國王 / 国王
gwok³ wong⁴
The English word 'king' is translated into Cantonese as 國王 / 国王 (gwok³ wong⁴). If unsure, use 國王 / 国王. Wiktionary also lists 王 (wong⁴).
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 國王 / 国王 | gwok³ wong⁴ |
| 王 | wong⁴ |
This term refers to a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun).
What does it mean word for word?
The term 國王 is composed of 國 (nation/country) and 王 (king/monarch).
Which one should you use?
While 國王 / 国王 is the full noun for 'king', the single character 王 can be used as a shorthand or as a component in titles.
How do you pronounce it?
gwok³ wong⁴
Did you know?
- The character 王 consists of three horizontal lines representing Heaven, Man, and Earth, connected by a single vertical line representing the connection between them.
- In Cantonese, the character 王 is also used as a surname, meaning you might meet a 'King' who is simply a person named 王.
- If you call someone a 王 in a slang context, it may not mean they are royalty, but rather that they are a 'boss' or a 'pro' at a specific task.
Examples in context
- 個騎士發誓向國王忠誠。The knight swore an oath of allegiance to the king.This sentence shows how to use the form 王 in the context of an oath of allegiance.Tatoeba #4826875 by kaenif, translation #25630 by Scott
- 國王，佢嘅父親，係一個好人，相信佢；但係佢阿媽唔可以說服到佢係真嘅；而見到佢幾乎每日都去打獵，而且佢成日都有啲藉口準備好咁做，雖然佢哋一齊出去咗三、四晚，佢開始懷疑佢結咗婚。The King, his father, who was a good man, believed him. But his mother could not be persuaded that it was true. And seeing that he went almost every day a-hunting, and that he always had some excuse ready for so doing, though he had been out three or four nights together, she began to suspect that he was married.This sentence uses the form 王 to describe a king's character and personal life.Tatoeba #13493320 by Davidgo5867, translation #6211779 by Hybrid
- 大約十五、十六年後，國王同國王喺佢哋其中一個鄉村別墅缺席，有一日年輕嘅公主喺宮入面跑嚟跑去；佢由一間房去到另一間房，最後佢嚟到塔頂嘅一個小閣樓，嗰度有個好老婆，一個人，用緊佢個軸心旋轉緊。About fifteen or sixteen years after, the King and Queen being absent at one of their country villas, the young Princess was one day running up and down the palace. She went from room to room, and at last she came into a little garret on the top of the tower, where a good old woman, alone, was spinning with her spindle.This sentence uses the form 王 in a narrative describing a royal setting.Tatoeba #13497054 by Davidgo5867, translation #6211729 by Hybrid
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
