TongTong
Sign in

君王 (jūn wáng) — monarch, sovereign

Definition

Literary/formal term for a reigning monarch — the title itself is neutral (king or emperor), used in historical or elevated writing, not modern political speech. Pairs with the measure word 位 to show respect.

noun
monarchsovereign
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 君王。
    Gǔ dài jūn wáng yōng yǒu zhì gāo wú shàng de quán lì.
    Ancient monarchs held supreme power.
  • 君王。
    Zhè wèi jūn wáng shēn shòu bǎi xìng ài dài.
    This sovereign is deeply loved and respected by the people.
  • 君王。
    jūn wáng Yǔ dà chén gòng tóng shāng yì guó shì.
    The monarch discusses state affairs together with ministers.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

君jūnlord
王wángking

The 君 (lord) and 王 (king) are near-synonyms for a monarch.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
尹
尹yǐn君jūn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

君 combines 尹 and 口. Early forms were often interchangeable with 尹, and 口 may show commands or simply be decorative.

Open 君 →

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 & Titles

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.