王侯 (wáng hóu) — prince and marquis (specific noble titles); the nobility; the ruling elite (as a class)
Definition
王侯 refers to the hereditary nobility as a class — princes, marquises, and other titled lords — not just individual titles. Use it for the ruling elite as a group (as in 帝王将相 and 王侯将相).
noun
prince and marquis (specific noble titles)the nobilitythe ruling elite (as a class)
Examples
- 王侯。Gǔ dài wáng hóu de zǐ sūn dà duō jì chéng jué wèi.In ancient times, descendants of princes and marquises mostly inherited titles.
- ，王侯。Lì shǐ shàng xǔ duō yīng xióng chū shēn píng mín, hòu lái chéng le wáng hóu.Many heroes in history were born commoners and later became nobility.
- 王侯。Shū zhōng miáo xiě le wáng hóu zhī jiān de quán lì dòu zhēng.The book depicts power struggles among the nobility.
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