女王
nǚwáng/ny²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɑŋ³⁵/
The English word queen translates to Chinese as 女王 (nǚwáng). Wiktionary also lists 女皇 (nǚhuáng) and 王后 (wánghòu).
Meaning: female monarch (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 女王 | nǚwáng | /ny²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɑŋ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nɵy̯¹³ wɔːŋ²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
| 女皇 | nǚhuáng | /ny²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ɑŋ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nɵy̯¹³ wɔːŋ²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
| 王后 | wánghòu | /wɑŋ³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /wɔːŋ²¹ hɐu̯²²/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
The term is used to refer to a female monarch. Depending on the specific role of the woman, different words are used to distinguish whether she is a reigning monarch, an empress or the wife of a king.
What does it mean word for word?
The form 女王 is composed of 女 (female) and 王 (king/monarch). The form 王后 is composed of 王 (king) and 后 (queen/consort).
Which one should you use?
Use 女王 for a female monarch who reigns in her own right. Use 王后 to refer to a queen consort, which is the wife of a king. Use 女皇 to refer to an empress, a female ruler of an empire, which is a higher rank than the queen of a kingdom (女王).
How do you pronounce it?
nǚwáng (/ny²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɑŋ³⁵/)
Did you know?
- China had only one official female emperor in its entire history, Wu Zetian, who is the primary historical reference for the term 女皇.
- In modern internet slang, the term 女王 is often used to describe a 'queen' personality, referring to a woman who is dominant, confident and expects to be pampered.
- The character 王 in 女王 is a pictograph that originally represented three horizontal lines connected by a vertical one, symbolizing the connection between Heaven, Earth and Humanity.
Examples in context
- 英格兰是足球、鱼和薯片，还有女王的同义词。England is synonymous with football, fish & chips, and the Queen.This sentence shows how 女王 can be used when discussing things synonymous with England.Tatoeba #5574736 by verdastelo9604, translation #941410 by bobson
- 知情者提到去年三月有人看到女王和凱薩琳笑着聊天。The source made reference to Kate and the Queen being seen chatting and smiling together last March.This sentence uses 女王 in the context of people being seen chatting together.Tatoeba #1577141 by GlossaMatik, translation #1577178 by eastasiastudent
- 她與強大的祖琳女王有著密切的血緣關係，她的家在一棵枝繁葉茂的橡樹蔭下。She was closely related to the mighty Queen Zurline, and her home was beneath the shade of a widespreading oak.This sentence uses 女王 to describe a mighty queen in a narrative context.Tatoeba #13573830 by LeviHighway, translation #7564592 by Hybrid
- 克利奥佩特拉是埃及历史上最著名的女王之一。Cleopatra is one of the most famous queens in Egyptian history.
- 玛丽亚是流行音乐界的女皇。Maria is the queen of the pop music industry.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Junjie are talking about a history book.
- 梓涵 Zihan这本书在讲那位著名的女王。Zhè běn shū zài jiǎng nà wèi zhùmíng de nǚwáng.This book is about that famous queen.
- 俊杰 Junjie她统治国家的时间很长吗？Tā tǒngzhì guójiā de shíjiān hěn cháng ma?Did she rule the country for a long time?
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，这位女王统治了五十年。Shì de, zhè wèi nǚwáng tǒngzhì le wǔshí nián.Yes, this queen ruled for fifty years.
- 俊杰 Junjie听起来她的权力非常大。Tīng qǐlái tā de quánlì fēicháng dà.It sounds like she had a lot of power.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “queen” translations and entries 女王, 女皇, 王后, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
