How to Say "Prince" in Korean

왕자

wangja[wa̠ŋd͡ʑa̠]

The English word "prince" is translated into Korean as 왕자 (wangja).

왕자 is a noun used to refer to the son or male-line grandson of a reigning monarch.

Meaning: son or male-line grandson of a reigning monarch (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is composed of the characters 왕, meaning "king" and 자, meaning "son" or "child".

While 왕자 refers to a prince in general, the specific term 왕세자 is used to designate a crown prince.

wangja

The concept of a 'prince' in Korean history was often tied to specific titles like 대군 (grand prince) depending on whether the person was the son of a queen or a concubine.
Historically, the crown prince 왕세자 lived in a separate palace complex called the 동궁, which literally means 'East Palace'.
Modern Koreans often use the term 왕자님 adding the honorific suffix 님 when referring to a 'prince charming' in romantic stories or fairy tales.

그 왕자는 왕국을 상징합니다.
That prince symbolizes the kingdom.
어제 왕자님을 볼 수 있었어!
I saw the prince yesterday!
그는 아주 멋진 왕자예요.
geuneun aju meotjin wangjayeyo.
He is a very handsome prince.
동화 속의 왕자를 찾아요.
donghwa sogui wangjareul chajayo.
I am looking for the prince in the fairy tale.
왕자가 성에 도착했어요.
wangjaga seonge dochakhaesseoyo.
The prince arrived at the castle.

Minji and Minjun are discussing a children's book.

민지 Min-ji

이 책의 주인공은 누구예요?
i chaegui juin-gong-eun nuguyeyo?
Who is the main character of this book?
민준 Min-jun

어린 왕자가 주인공이에요.
eorin wangjaga juin-gong-iyeyo.
A young prince is the main character.
민지 Min-ji

그 왕자는 용감한가요?
geu wangjaneun yonggamhangayo?
Is that prince brave?
민준 Min-jun

네, 정말 용감한 왕자예요.
ne, jeongmal yonggamhan wangjayeyo.
Yes, he is a very brave prince.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏