왕태후
wangtaehu
The English phrase "queen mother" is translated into Korean as 왕태후 (wangtaehu) or 황태후.
Meaning: widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 왕태후 | wangtaehu | |
| 황태후 | hwangtaehu | [ɸwa̠ŋtʰɛβu] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ɸwa̠ŋtʰe̞βu] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
These terms refer to a widowed queen consort whose child from that marriage is the reigning monarch.
Which one should you use?
The choice between the two forms depends on the status of the reigning monarch. 황태후 is used specifically when the reigning monarch is an Emperor of an empire.
How do you pronounce it?
wangtaehu
Did you know?
- In Korean history, the position of 태후 (queen mother) often carried more actual political power than the reigning monarch, as the king was expected to show absolute filial piety to his mother.
- The shift from 왕태후 to 황태후 was a deliberate political statement to signal that Korea was an independent empire and no longer a tributary state.
- The term 황태후 was only used during the short-lived Korean Empire from 1897 to 1910, when Korea transitioned from a kingdom to an empire.
Examples in context
- 왕태후께서 입궐하셨습니다.wangtaehueseo ipgwolhasyeotseumnida.The queen mother has entered the palace.
- 그분은 전임 국왕의 어머니이자 왕태후이십니다.geubuneun jeonim gukwangui eomeonija wangtaehuisimnida.She is the mother of the former king and the queen mother.
- 왕태후의 명을 받들겠습니다.wangtaehui myeongeul batdeulgetseumnida.I will obey the queen mother's command.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a historical drama.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨, 이 드라마 재미있어요?Ji-hun ssi, i deurama jaemi-isseoyo?Ji-hun, is this drama interesting?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 왕태후와 왕의 갈등이 흥미로워요.Ne, wangtaehu-wa wang-ui galdeung-i heungmi-rowo-yo.Yes, the conflict between the queen mother and the king is interesting.
- 수빈 Su-bin왕태후께서 권력이 아주 강하시네요.Wangtaehu-kkeseo gwollyeog-i aju ganghasineyo.The queen mother has a lot of power.
- 지훈 Ji-hun맞아요, 그래서 이야기가 더 긴장돼요.Majayo, geuraeseo iyagiga deo ginjang-dwaeyo.That's right, that's why the story is more tense.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “queen mother” translations and entries 황태후, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
