The Name King in Japanese/Chinese on a Custom-Made Wall Scroll.

王 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 the 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.

王 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

金 is how the name King is transliterated into Mandarin Chinese.

The meaning of this character is metal or gold, and it only vaguely sounds like “king”. But it was used in many articles for famous people like Larry King. If my last name was “King”, I would rather use the character 王 which means king, and romanizes as “wang” or “wong.”

キング is the name King in Japanese Katakana.

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

獅子王 is the Chinese title for “The Lion King” (also associated with the Disney movie).

This has the “Lion King” meaning in Japanese however, not associated with the movie you are thinking of. 獅子王 is also a Japanese surname that romanizes as Shishiou.

美猴王 is the specific title for “Monkey King.”

A character made famous by the ancient novel Journey to the West.

It literally means “Handsome/Beautiful Monkey King.”

See Also:  Monkey Fist | Drunken Monkey

猴王 is the short title for “Monkey King.” This can refer to the character made famous by the ancient novel Journey to the West.

This literally reads “Monkey King.” However, this title is open to interpretation and could be used for someone who is the boss of the primate exhibit at the zoo or certain characters in Chinese opera.

See Also:  Monkey Fist | Drunken Monkey

金剛 can translate as adamantine from Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

Other meanings and translations can include diamond, thunderbolt, Indra's indestructible weapon, a Buddhist symbol of the indestructible truth, Vajra (a mythical weapon), guardian deity, hardness, indestructibility, power, the least frangible of minerals.

The Chinese pronunciation of “Jīn Gāng” became the loanword used in English as “King Kong.” You can see King Kong as the indestructible ape guardian deity depending on how you read the story.

不動明王 is the fierce form of the Buddha Vairocana, and the most important of the Myō-ō or Ming Wang class of deities.

Romanized as Fudō Myō-ō, in Japanese Buddhism or Bùdòng Míngwáng / Pu-Tung Ming-Wang in Chinese Buddhism,

Originally Acala/Achala (अचल “The Immovable”), Acalanātha (अचलनाथ “Immovable Lord”) or Āryācalanātha (आर्याचलनाथ, “Noble Immovable Lord”).

In English, this deity is sometimes called “Wisdom King.”

酔い猿 is the Japanese title for Drunken Monkey.

See Also:  Monkey Fist

竜 is an alternate form of the dragon.

Still pronounced the same in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

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.

We strongly recommend if you are looking for the symbol of dragon.

See Also:  Phoenix | Emperor | King

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

See Also:  Empress | King | Queen

皇帝 means emperor in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

From times of old, the emperors of Asia ruled under the authority of God himself. 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 an empress until her death (see our entry for empress if that is what you are looking for).

See Also:  Empress | King | Queen

皇后 is the title of empress/emperess, the female form of the emperor.

皇后 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 (now China) until her death and the succession of the emperor's firstborn 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.

皇后 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 | King | Queen | Phoenix

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

女王 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 | King | Emperor

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

王后 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 | King | Emperor