gwan1 wong4君王
Jyutpinggwan1 wong4
Yalegwān wòhng
Definition
Sovereign, monarch, or king; the person holding supreme power in a feudal society.
writtenpeopleother
How it's used
Refers almost exclusively to historical or fictional rulers in a feudal context. It carries a formal or literary weight that makes it sound out of place when describing modern political leaders or heads of state. Using it to describe a contemporary president or prime minister would sound sarcastic or archaic.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Monarchs in ancient times really had a lot of power.
Related words
Common phrases
monarchical power
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe modern royalty or political figures, as it implies a level of absolute, historical authority that does not apply to current constitutional monarchs or elected officials.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
