帝 dì — emperor
从前，这个国家由皇帝统治。Cóng qián, zhè ge guó jiā yóu huáng dì tǒng zhì.In the past, this country was ruled by an emperor.
Common words: 皇帝 (huáng dì)、帝国 (dì guó)、帝国主义 (dì guó zhǔ yì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "emperor"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "emperor", including 帝 (dì), 皇 (huáng), 辟 (pì / bì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "emperor" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 帝 (dì), 皇 (huáng), 辟 (pì / bì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span dì, huáng, pì, bì — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 帝 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 帝 dìemperorUseful words: 皇帝, 帝国
- 皇 huáng(surname); emperorUseful words: 皇帝, 皇后
- 辟 pì / bìking; emperor; monarch; royal; ward off; lawUseful words: 开辟, 开天辟地
Common words for these 3 "emperor" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 帝 (dì) — so "emperor" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
皇帝huáng dìemperor帝国dì guóempire; imperial帝国主义dì guó zhǔ yìimperialism皇帝huáng dìemperor皇后huáng hòuempress; imperial consort皇上huáng shangthe emperor; Your majesty the emperor; His imperial majesty开辟kāi pìto open up; to set up; to establish开天辟地kāi tiān pì dìto split heaven and earth apart (idiom); refers to the Pangu 盘古 creation myth大辟dà pì(literary) death sentence; decapitation
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "emperor".
皇 huáng — (surname); emperor
这座皇宫已经有几百年的历史。Zhè zuò huáng gōng yǐ jīng yǒu jǐ bǎi nián de lì shǐ.This palace already has a history of several hundred years.
Common words: 皇帝 (huáng dì)、皇后 (huáng hòu)、皇上 (huáng shang)
辟 pì / bì — king; emperor; monarch; royal; ward off; law
政府辟谣，澄清了那条假消息。Zhèng fǔ pì yáo, chéng qīng le nà tiáo jiǎ xiāo xi.The government refuted the rumor and clarified the false news.
Common words: 开辟 (kāi pì)、开天辟地 (kāi tiān pì dì)、大辟 (dà pì)
All 3 characters
Open 帝、皇、辟 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.