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亲王 (qīn wáng) — prince of the blood (imperial prince); prince (in a monarchy)

Definition

亲王 is the formal title for a prince of the imperial bloodline (a son or close male relative of the emperor), distinct from a general prince or royal son-in-law. In modern usage it usually refers to monarchs of small principalities.

noun
prince of the blood (imperial prince)prince (in a monarchy)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 亲王。
    Zhè wèi qīn wáng shì huáng dì zuì chǒng ài de ér zi.
    This prince is the emperor's most beloved son.
  • 亲王。
    Lì shǐ shàng xǔ duō qīn wáng dōu cān yù le quán lì dòu zhēng.
    In history, many princes of the blood participated in power struggles.
  • 亲王，。
    Tā shòu fēng wéi qīn wáng, xiǎng yǒu dà piàn fēng dì.
    He was enfeoffed as a prince and enjoyed a large fief.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

亲qīnkin
王wángking

亲 (kin) and 王 (king) combine to denote a royal relative.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 王 comes from a picture of a ritual axe, an object kept near a throne and connected with royal power.

Open 王 →
Appears in
Identity & TitlesHistory

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