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This is wang which means king. It is not pronounced the way you think in Chinese. It is more like English-speakers would want to pronounce wong. It has roughly the same vowel sound as tong, song, or long in English.

Note that this means king only, not emperor. An emperor is higher than a king, and theoretically is chosen by God, according to ancient Chinese culture. However, the definition is often blurred at various points in Asian history.

This word can also be defined as ruler, sovereign, monarch or magnate. It is also can refer to a game piece in the chess-like Japanese strategic game of shoji.

Note: This can also be a family name in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese (in Vietnamese it's Vương).

See Also...  Queen

This is an alternate form of dragon. Still pronounced the same in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (this version is more popular in the Japanese language, but generally recognized by most Chinese people - recognized in Korean until 100 years ago).

This particular Kanji is often associated as an imperial symbol as well as representing the mythical Asian dragon. You may have seen it on the chest or flag of the emperor in old Japanese and Chinese movies.

Note: I would rate this as a non-universal alternate form. The other dragon character is by far more common, and universally understood.

Special Japanese note: This is the shinjitai (new character form). Shinjitai Kanji are the result a simplification effort in Japan after WWII. Theoretically, this is the only official way to write "dragon" in modern Japanese. However, virtually all Japanese people recognize the traditional and ancient form.

See Also...  Phoenix | Emperor

This is the simple, single-character way to write emperor in Chinese and Japanese.

See Also...  Empress | Queen | Dragon

From times of old, the emperors of Asia ruled under the authority of God himself. In fact, one definition of an emperor is a ruler put in power by God. This definition separates emperors from the various kings in Chinese history (although defining who is a king versus an emperor gets vague sometimes).

Occasionally, the emperor's wife was widowed, and she took the role of empress until her death (see our entry for empress if that is what you are looking for).

See Also...  Empress | Queen | Dragon

This is the title of empress or emperess, the female form of emperor. This is used in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

While the emperor's reign was for life, if he died, his wife would hold his power. In this case, a woman was the ultimate ruler of the greater part of East Asia (what is now China) until her death and the succession of the emperor's first born son to lead the empire. Numerous times in various Chinese dynasties, an empress took power in this way.

The first character means emperor by itself.

The second character alone can mean "wife of an emperor or king" (the first character clarifies that we are talking about an empress, and not a queen). It can also mean sovereign or last offspring, depending on context.

Note: In some books, this word is translated as queen. While only incorrect if you get technical (because an empress is theoretically a higher level than a queen), the meaning is very similar.

This is sometimes used for the title of queen, but more technically, this is the wife of the emperor (a higher level than a queen).

See Also...  Emperor | Queen | Phoenix

This is one way to write queen in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

This is not the same thing as an empress.

The first character means "woman" or "female", and the second means "king". So this is literally, "woman king".

See Also...  Empress | Goddess | Emperor

This is another way to write queen in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

This is sometimes used for the title of empress.

The first character means "king" and the second means "wife", or a short form to say "wife of the king / emperor". So this is literally, "king's wife" or "emperor's wife". Some will translate this as "queen consort".

See Also...  Queen | Goddess | Emperor

This is the title for Drunken Monkey Kung Fu (Gong Fu). The martial arts style inspired by the novel, "Journey to the West".

This is the short title for Drunken Monkey (often used as a title for a style of martial arts or kung fu which mimics the movements of a drunk monkey). This martial arts style was inspired by the novel, "Journey to the West".