vua
[vuə˧˧]
In Vietnamese, the English phrase 'king' is translated as vua. If unsure, use vua. Wiktionary also lists quốc vương.
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| vua | [vuə˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [vuə˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| quốc vương | [kuək̚˧˦ vɨəŋ˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kuək̚˦˧˥ vɨəŋ˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
The word vua is the most common and straightforward term for a king. You can also use quốc vương when referring to a king ruling over a nation on a larger scale, such as a kingdom or country. Additionally, the term ông hoàng is an informal way to refer to a person who is highly successful or influential.
What does it mean word for word?
The term quốc vương is a compound word where quốc means nation/country and vương means king/monarch.
Which one should you use?
While vua is the common word for king, quốc vương is a more formal and prestigious term often used in official or historical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to 'the king' as a specific person or institution, it is common to add the classifier nhà before vua, resulting in nhà vua.
Did you know?
- The phrase Bố Cái Đại Vương is a linguistic curiosity where the same meaning is repeated twice. The first two words are ancient Vietnamese for 'great king' and the last two are Chinese for 'great king'.
- Vietnamese uses the word vua not only for royalty but also to describe the 'king' of a specific skill, such as a 'king of comedy' or 'king of pop'.
Examples in context
- Chúng ta là vua.We are King.This sentence is useful for showing how to say 'We are King' using vua.Tatoeba #13341173 by leucammieuvu, translation #12294742 by Miktsoanit
- Nhà vua đã bị xử tử.The king was executed.This sentence is useful for showing how to refer to 'the king' as a specific person using vua.Tatoeba #5159999 by truongap, translation #25637 by CK
- Tom được vua tha tội.Tom was pardoned by the king.This sentence is useful for showing how 'the king' can pardon someone using vua.Tatoeba #13731224 by leucammieuvu, translation #13730214 by soridsolid
- Hoàng đế Càn Long là một trong những vị vua nổi tiếng nhất trong lịch sử Trung Quốc.Emperor Qianlong is one of the most famous kings in Chinese history.
- Quốc vương Henry VIII của Anh là một nhà vua quyền lực trong thời kỳ Phục Hưng.King Henry VIII of England was a powerful king during the Renaissance period.
- Elon Musk được coi là ông hoàng của ngành công nghệ hiện đại.Elon Musk is considered the king of the modern technology industry.
- Lionel Messi là vị vua của bóng đá hiện đại.Lionel Messi is the king of modern football.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chi and Tuấn are discussing a historical movie.
- ChiVị vua trong phim rất thông minh.The king in the movie is very intelligent.
- TuấnĐúng vậy, ông ấy rất mạnh mẽ.That's true, he is very strong.
- ChiTôi thích cách vua bảo vệ đất nước.I like how the king protected the country.
- TuấnBộ phim lịch sử này thật hay.This historical movie is really good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations and entries vua, quốc vương, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quốc vương, vua, vương, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
