Meaning of 皇帝
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- emperor
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 皇帝
皇帝 is the standard word for a Chinese or foreign emperor, common in history, TV dramas and news about past dynasties. When speaking directly to the emperor in period dramas, people say 皇上 (huángshang) instead. Example: 秦始皇是中国第一个皇帝。(Qín Shǐhuáng shì Zhōngguó dì yī gè huángdì.) Qin Shi Huang was China's first emperor.
Think of 皇 (huáng) as a white 白 light shining over a king 王, a ruler who outshines everyone. Add 帝 (dì), the character also found in 上帝 (Shàngdì) and 帝国 (dìguó), and you get the supreme ruler: the emperor.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 皇 (huáng) with 黄 (huáng, yellow) because they sound the same, so they write 黄帝 by mistake. 黄帝 is actually the legendary Yellow Emperor, a specific figure, while 皇帝 means emperor in general.
皇帝 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
皇 huáng · royal · 9 strokes
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帝 dì · supreme ruler · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 皇帝.
| 上帝 | Shàngdì | God |
| 帝国 | dìguó | empire; imperial |
| 皇后 | huánghòu | empress; imperial consort |
| 皇上 | huángshang | the emperor; Your majesty the emperor |
| 皇室 | huángshì | royal family; imperial household |
| 皇宫 | huánggōng | imperial palace |
| 帝国主义 | dìguó zhǔyì | imperialism |
| 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) |
Questions about 皇帝
What does 皇帝 mean?
皇帝 (huángdì) means "emperor" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 皇帝?
皇帝 is made of 2 characters: 皇 (9 strokes), 帝 (9 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 皇帝 an HSK word?
Yes. 皇帝 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 皇帝 and 国王?
皇帝 (huángdì) means emperor, the ruler of an empire, used for Chinese dynasties and empires like Rome or Japan. 国王 (guówáng) means king, the ruler of a kingdom, such as the king of Thailand or England.
How do you say empress or imperial palace in Chinese?
An empress or the emperor's wife is 皇后 (huánghòu), and the imperial palace is 皇宫 (huánggōng). The emperor's family as a whole is 皇室 (huángshì).