Chinese word

王后

Pronunciation

Pinyinwáng hòu

Meaning

  • nounqueen

Example

王后向民众挥手。wáng hòu xiàng mín zhòng huī shǒu

The queen waved to the people.

Illustration for 王后 (queen)

More examples

她经过多年争斗，最终成为王后。tā jīng guò duō nián zhēng dòu zuì zhōng chéng wéi wáng hòu

After years of struggle, she finally became queen.

Core concept

A king's official wife who represents the royal family at important public events.

Common phrases

  • 成为王后chéng wéi wáng hòu

    become queen

  • 被立为王后bèi lì wèi wáng hòu

    be made queen

  • 王后的职责wáng hòu de zhí zé

    duties of the queen

Similar words

王妃wáng fēi: A royal wife who holds a rank in the king's court and attends public events.
皇后huáng hòu: An emperor's official wife, with the highest position in the imperial court.
女王nǚ wáng: A female monarch who governs a country herself.

Definition in Chinese

君主的配偶中被正式授予后位的正室称号，多在宫廷仪式中履行象征性和代表性职能。jūn zhǔ de pèi ǒu zhōng bèi zhèng shì shòu yǔ hòu wèi de zhèng shì chēng hào duō zài gōng tíng yí shì zhōng lǚ xíng xiàng zhēng xìng hé dài biǎo xìng zhí néng

Word origin

王后 (wánghòu, "queen consort") is formed from 王 (wáng, "king") and 后 (hòu, "queen consort"), joining the ruler with the title of the ruler's principal wife.

Usage tips

  • English history books use queen for both a ruler and a ruler's wife, so queen consort can prevent confusion about her position.

Other meanings

  • queen consortnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word