Chinese word

皇上

Pronunciation

Pinyinhuáng shàng

Meaning

  • nounemperor

Example

大家在戏里叫皇上。dà jiā zài xì lǐ jiào huáng shàng

In the play, everyone calls him the emperor.

Illustration for 皇上 (emperor)

More examples

皇上坐在龙椅上。huáng shàng zuò zài lóng yǐ shàng

The emperor is sitting on the dragon throne.

Core concept

A ruler placed at the highest point of a realm, addressed with formal respect and awe.

Common phrases

  • 受皇上宠爱shòu huáng shàng chǒng ài

    be favored by the emperor

  • 被皇上赏识bèi huáng shàng shǎng shí

    be recognized by the emperor

  • 忤逆皇上wǔ nì huáng shàng

    defy the emperor

Similar words

皇帝huáng dì: The supreme ruler of an empire who occupies the imperial throne.
陛下bì xià: A respectful form of address for a king or other monarch.
国王guó wáng: The monarch who rules a kingdom as its head of state.
君主jūn zhǔ: A general term for a sovereign ruler with authority over a state.

Definition in Chinese

对在位皇帝的礼貌称呼，带有恭敬和敬畏的含义，多见于古代史书和文艺作品中。duì zài wèi huáng dì de lǐ mào chēng hū dài yǒu gōng jìng hé jìng wèi de hán yì duō jiàn yú gǔ dài shǐ shū hé wén yì zuò pǐn zhōng

Word origin

皇上 (huángshàng, "emperor above") combines 皇 (huáng, "imperial") with 上 (shàng, "above"), making a respectful title that places the emperor at the highest rank.

Usage tips

  • In modern everyday Chinese, this form is mainly heard in historical dramas, period stories, or playful role-play, so using it for a present-day leader sounds deliberately old-fashioned.

Other meanings

  • monarchnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word