王国
ōkoku[o̞ːko̞kɯ̟]
The Japanese word for kingdom is 王国 (ōkoku).
王国 refers to a realm ruled by a king or queen. It is also frequently used metaphorically to describe a place or an industry that is exceptionally dominant or characterized by a specific thing, such as 自動車王国 (automotive kingdom).
Meaning: realm having as supreme ruler a king or queen (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 王, meaning king and 国, meaning country or nation.
How do you pronounce it?
ōkoku
Did you know?
- The word 王国 shares the same Chinese characters and a very similar sound with the Korean word 'wangguk' and the Vietnamese 'vương quốc'.
- While 王国 is used for kingdoms, Japan refers to its own historical imperial system using 帝国 for 'empire', as the ruler was an emperor rather than a king.
- Because 王国 sounds quite formal and grand, it is rarely used in casual daily conversation unless one is specifically discussing fairy tales or fantasy stories.
Examples in context
- 我が軍はその王国を不意打ちにした。Our army took the kingdom by surprise.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe an army attacking a 王国.Tatoeba #186429 by mookeee, translation #23566 by Luornu
- 自動車王国Kingdom of automobilesThis sentence shows how the term can be used to describe an industry, like an automotive kingdom.
- 今度のマリオは海底に沈んだ古代王国の謎を解き明かす海洋アドベンチャーだ。The new Mario game is an underwater adventure where he solves the mystery of an ancient kingdom sunk to the bottom of the sea.This sentence demonstrates the use of the word in the context of an ancient 王国.Tatoeba #1109937 by mookeee, translation #2678733 by WestofEden
- Shin Ōkoku (新王国)New kingdom
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a fantasy novel.
- 陽葵 Himariこの物語には、美しい王国が出てくるよ。Kono monogatari ni wa, utsukushii oukoku ga detekuru yo.A beautiful kingdom appears in this story.
- 大翔 Hirotoその王国はどんな場所なの？Sono oukoku wa donna basho na no?What kind of place is that kingdom?
- 陽葵 Himariとても平和な王国なんだって。Totemo heiwa na oukoku nandatte.I heard it is a very peaceful kingdom.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵がそんな話をすると、ワクワクするね。Himari ga sonna hanashi o suru to, wakuwaku suru ne.When you talk like that, Himari, it gets exciting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kingdom” translations and entries 王国, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 王国, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
