Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 國王 / 国王 | guówáng |
| 王 | wáng |
The term is used to refer to a male member of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation. While 國王 / 国王 specifically denotes a monarch of a nation, the single character 王 can be used more broadly in titles, such as 'King of the Jungle' or as a common Chinese surname. Historically, in ancient China, the term Dì (帝) was used to refer to an emperor or supreme ruler.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 國王 / 国王 is composed of two parts: 國 (guó), meaning country or nation and 王 (wáng), meaning king.
Which one should you use?
國王 / 国王 specifically refers to a monarch of a nation, whereas the single character 王 is used more broadly in various titles or as a surname.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, the term Gōng (公) was used to refer to a ruling noble or feudal lord.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a suffix in titles (such as 'King of [X]'), the single character 王 is used instead of the full word 國王 / 国王.
How do you pronounce it?
guówáng
Did you know?
- The character 王 may have originally been a picture of a ritual axe made of jade, a symbol of power kept near an ancient throne.
Examples in context
- 国王光着呢！The king is naked!Tatoeba #5555591 by verdastelo9604, translation #2627012 by AlanF_US
- 他尊貴如國王。He commands the respect of a king.Tatoeba #2174195 by sadhen, translation #2174991 by FeuDRenais2
- 狮子是丛林之王。The lion is the king of the jungle.Tatoeba #2788397 by GlossaMatik, translation #29846 by CM
- 他是北欧的王子，有朝一日将成为国王 (Tā shì Běi Ōu de Wáng Zi, yǒu zhāo yī rì jiāng chéng wéi Guó Wáng)He is a prince from Northern Europe, who will one day become a king.
- 他是足球界的王 (Tā shì zú qiú jiè de wáng)He is the king of the soccer world.
- 45 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 王, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
