王 wáng — king; Wang (proper name)
从前有一位善良的国王。Cóng qián yǒu yí wèi shàn liáng de guó wáng.Once upon a time there was a kind king.
Common words: 王子 (wáng zǐ)、国王 (guó wáng)、王后 (wáng hòu)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "proper name"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "proper name", including 王 (wáng), 夏 (xià). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "proper name" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 王 (wáng), 夏 (xià) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span wáng, xià — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 王 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 王 wángking; Wang (proper name)Useful words: 王子, 国王
- 夏 xiàsummer; Xia (proper name)Useful words: 夏天, 夏季
Common words for these 2 "proper name" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 王 (wáng) — so "proper name" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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 2 ways to say "proper name".
夏 xià — summer; Xia (proper name)
夏天的天气又热又潮湿。Xià tiān de tiān qì yòu rè yòu cháo shī.Summer weather is hot and humid.
Common words: 夏天 (xià tiān)、夏季 (xià jì)、夏令营 (xià lìng yíng)
All 2 characters
Open 王、夏 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.