殿下
diànxià
殿下 (diànxià) is the Chinese way to say "your highness".
殿下 is a title of respect used to address a prince or princess. It is a gender-neutral term and can be used for both male and female individuals.
Meaning: a title of respect used to address a prince or princess (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 殿 (diàn), meaning 'palace' and 下 (xià), meaning 'below/under', which literally translates to 'below the palace'.
Which one should you use?
While 殿下 is used for "Your Highness" (princes and princesses), the higher title 陛下 is used for "Your Majesty" (emperors and emperors' consorts).
How do you pronounce it?
diànxià
Did you know?
- The literal meaning 'below the palace' refers to the custom of a subject standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the hall to avoid looking directly at the royal person.
- In modern Chinese pop culture and 'manhua' comics, characters may use 殿下 ironically or affectionately to tease a friend who acts like royalty.
- The concept of being 'below' the palace in 殿下 reflects a Confucian social order where one's status is defined by their distance from the center of power.
Examples in context
- 王爷殿下Your Highness, Prince
- 皇后殿下Your Highness, Empress
- 尊敬的殿下Respected Your Highness
- 各位殿下All Your Highnesses
- 殿下，请休息一下。Diànxià, qǐng xiūxi yīxià.Your highness, please rest for a moment.
- 这是送给殿下的礼物。Zhè shì sòng gěi diànxià de lǐwù.This is a gift for your highness.
- 殿下，您准备好了吗？Diànxià, nín zhǔnbèi hǎole ma?Your highness, are you ready?
Example conversation
A servant is attending to a prince in a palace.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen殿下，这是您要的茶。Diànxià, zhè shì nín yào de chá.Your highness, this is the tea you requested.
- 浩然 Haoran辛苦你了。Xīnkǔ nǐ le.Thank you for your hard work.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这是我的职责。Zhè shì wǒ de zhízé.It is my duty.
- 浩然 Haoran那我就喝了吧。Nà wǒ jiù hē le ba.Then I shall drink it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “your highness” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
