Emperor in Japanese
"emperor" in Japanese, with the kanji that carry the meaning.
3 Japanese kanji carry the meaning "emperor". The most common choice is shown first.
Which one to use
天皇 (tennō) is the Japanese emperor, and the two characters are 天 heaven and 皇 sovereign. 皇 alone marks imperial rank. 帝 is the general word for an emperor, used of China and of Rome as readily as of Japan. 王 is a king, a rank below.
Top pick
emperor
Reading: kou
9 strokes · powerful
Where it comes from
Composed of white and king. White king.
What it carries
Emperor, sovereign, imperial. Represents supreme ruler.
Related kanji for "emperor"
emperor
tei · powerful, mysterious
Composed of stand and cloth. Emperor standing cloth.
emperor
ou · powerful, wisdom
Vertical line connecting heaven, earth, and man. Ruler.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese kanji for emperor?
The most common kanji for "emperor" is 皇, read as kou. It means emperor. Related kanji: 帝 (emperor), 王 (emperor).
How many strokes does 皇 have?
皇 has 9 strokes.