王 meaning and stroke order
King or monarch; best or strongest of its type; grand
How to write 王, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 王
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- king or monarch
- best or strongest of its type
- grand
- great
- (literary) (of a monarch) to reign over (a kingdom)
How 王 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A man 十 bridging heaven and earth (both 一).
How to remember 王
Picture three horizontal lines as heaven, people, and earth, with one vertical stroke 十 joining them. The person who connects heaven and earth is the king, 王 (wáng).
王 means king in words like 国王 (guówáng) and 王子 (wángzǐ), and it can also mean the best of its kind, as in 王牌 (wángpái). It is one of the most common Chinese surnames, so you will often hear friendly forms like 老王 (Lǎo Wáng) or 小王 (Xiǎo Wáng). Example: 他是我们队的王牌。(Tā shì wǒmen duì de wángpái.) He is our team's star player.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 王 with 玉 (yù, jade), which has an extra dot, and with 主 (zhǔ, master), which has a dot on top. Also check the lines: in 王 the middle line is shorter than the bottom line, and in 土 (tǔ, earth) the top line is the shorter one.
Common words with 王
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 老王 | Lǎo Wáng | HSK 2 | |
| 小王 | Xiǎo Wáng | HSK 2 | |
| 国王 | guówáng | king | HSK 6 |
| 王子 | wángzǐ | prince; son of a king | HSK 6 |
| 王后 | wánghòu | queen | HSK 6 |
| 王国 | wángguó | kingdom; realm | HSK 7-9 |
| 王牌 | wángpái | (card games) trump card; (fig.) ace; star player; top performer; best asset; secret weapon | HSK 7-9 |
| 阎王 | Yánwang | (Buddhism) Yama, the King of Hell; (fig.) cruel and tyrannical person | HSK 7-9 |
| 女王 | nǚwáng | queen | |
| 王八蛋 | wángbādàn | bastard; son of a bitch | |
| 大王 | dàwáng | king; magnate | |
| 王位 | wángwèi | title of king; kingship | |
| 魔王 | mówáng | devil king; evil person | |
| 王室 | wángshì | royal family; royal household |
王 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 王
Learning 王 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 王
How many strokes are in 王?
王 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 王 mean?
王 (wáng) means king or monarch; best or strongest of its type; grand. A common word with it is 老王 (Lǎo Wáng), meaning "".
How do you pronounce 王?
王 is pronounced wáng, in the second tone (rising).
Is 王 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 王 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why do people call someone 老王 or 小王?
Chinese people often address friends and coworkers by putting 老 (old) or 小 (young) before the surname. 老王 is used for an older or senior person surnamed Wang, and 小王 for a younger one. It sounds friendly and casual.
When is 王 pronounced wàng?
In classical or literary Chinese, 王 can be a verb read as wàng, meaning to reign as king over a land. You will mostly see this in old texts. In modern everyday Chinese, always read it wáng.