王 wáng king
king; ruler; surname
How it came to be
象形 · Pictogram
A drawing of the thing it means.
Originally: axe blade
The oldest form is a ritual axe, a sign of the king's power.
How it is used
- King/ruler: 国王 (guówáng) king, 王子 (wángzǐ) prince, 王后 queen (consort).
- 王朝 (wángcháo) = dynasty; 王国 (wángguó) kingdom.
- Figurative 'top/champion': 王牌 (wángpái) a trump card/ace, 歌王 the king of song.
- One of the most common surnames (Wáng). Note the tonal shift to wàng means 'to reign' (archaic).