皇 meaning and stroke order
Royal, imperial; ruler, superior
How to write 皇, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 皇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- emperor
- old variant of 惶[huang2]
How 皇 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A crown 白 on the head of the emperor 王.
Radical: 白 (white), shared by 21 characters on this site.
How to remember 皇
Picture a shining crown 白 (bái) sitting on top of a king 王 (wáng). A king wearing his crown is the emperor, 皇 (huáng).
皇 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. It shows up in words about emperors and royalty, such as 皇帝 (huángdì, emperor), 皇后 (huánghòu, empress) and 皇宫 (huánggōng, imperial palace). Example: 这是古代皇帝住的地方。(Zhè shì gǔdài huángdì zhù de dìfang.) This is where emperors lived in ancient times.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 皇 (huáng) with 黄 (huáng, yellow) because they sound exactly the same. Remember that 皇 has 白 over 王, while 黄 has no 王 at all.
Common words with 皇
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 皇帝 | huángdì | emperor | HSK 6 |
| 皇后 | huánghòu | empress; imperial consort | HSK 7-9 |
| 皇上 | huángshang | the emperor; Your majesty the emperor | HSK 7-9 |
| 皇室 | huángshì | royal family; imperial household | HSK 7-9 |
| 皇宫 | huánggōng | imperial palace | HSK 7-9 |
| 皇家 | huángjiā | royal; imperial household | |
| 教皇 | jiàohuáng | (Catholicism) pope; pontiff | |
| 皇冠 | huángguān | crown (headgear) | |
| 女皇 | nǚhuáng | empress | |
| 沙皇 | shāhuáng | czar (loanword) | |
| 皇太子 | huángtàizǐ | crown prince | |
| 皇族 | huángzú | the imperial family; royal kin | |
| 皇子 | huángzǐ | prince | |
| 皇军 | huángjūn | imperial army (esp. Japanese) |
皇 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 皇
Learning 皇 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 皇
How many strokes are in 皇?
皇 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 皇 mean?
皇 (huáng) means royal, imperial; ruler, superior. A common word with it is 皇帝 (huángdì), meaning "emperor".
How do you pronounce 皇?
皇 is pronounced huáng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 皇?
The radical of 皇 is 白, which carries the idea of "white". Dictionaries list 皇 under this radical.
Is 皇 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 皇 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 皇 and 王?
王 (wáng) means king and is also a common surname. 皇 (huáng) is higher and refers to an emperor, as in 皇帝 (huángdì). In Chinese history, rulers called 王 often served under a 皇帝.
How do you say pope or crown with 皇?
Pope is 教皇 (jiàohuáng), literally the emperor of the church. A crown is 皇冠 (huángguān), the headgear of an emperor.