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公主 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
公主gōngzhǔprincessHSK 6, n, 9 strokes, rank #2059, Hard
gōngzhǔ(gong1zhu3)gong zhu T1
  1. 1princess
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March 24, 2026

公主gōngzhǔ(gong1zhu3)

公主 (gōngzhǔ) refers to a princess, specifically the daughter of a king or emperor. This term is commonly used in fairy tales, historical contexts, and modern discussions about royalty, embodying qualities of nobility and grace.

Strokes9Frequency#2059DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of a princess is often tied to historical dynasties and the role of women in royal families, reflecting traditional values of power, beauty, and arranged marriages.

Memory Tip

Imagine a grand palace where the '公' (gōng) signifies the public or royal domain, and '主' (zhǔ) represents the master or owner. Picture a beautiful princess in a magnificent gown, ruling over her kingdom, to help remember that '公主' means princess.

Meanings of 公主

gōngzhǔ(gong1zhu3)
1princess
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 公主

公主Simplified
9Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#2059Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 公主

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Podcast: 公主

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AI Study Notes for 公主

Quick Contrast

王女 (wángnǚ) — use 公主 (gōngzhǔ) when referring to a princess in a broader cultural or fairy tale context, while 王女 (wángnǚ) is more specific to a daughter of a king in a formal or literary sense.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; '公' is pronounced with a high level tone (gōng) while '主' has a falling tone (zhǔ). It’s often used in formal contexts. Common collocations include '皇室公主' (royal princess) and '公主梦' (princess dream), which relate to aspirations of nobility.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 公主 connects well with other terms related to royalty and social status, such as '王' (king) and '皇后' (queen). Students should focus on the characters' radicals and their meanings to deepen understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse the tones, pronouncing it incorrectly as 'gōngzhǔ' with both syllables in a high tone. The correct pronunciation is 'gōngzhǔ' with '公' high and '主' falling.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 公主

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Component Characters

公gōngpublic
HSK 64 strokes八
View full entry
主zhǔowner
HSK 75 strokes丶
View full entry

How to say princess in Chinese

“princess” in Chinese is公主gōngzhǔ

公主 (gōngzhǔ) refers to a princess, specifically the daughter of a king or emperor. This term is commonly used in fairy tales, historical contexts, and modern discussions about royalty, embodying qualities of nobility and grace.

When to use 公主

Be cautious with the tone; '公' is pronounced with a high level tone (gōng) while '主' has a falling tone (zhǔ). It’s often used in formal contexts. Common collocations include '皇室公主' (royal princess) and '公主梦' (princess dream), which relate to aspirations of nobility.

公主 or something close to it

王女 (wángnǚ) — use 公主 (gōngzhǔ) when referring to a princess in a broader cultural or fairy tale context, while 王女 (wángnǚ) is more specific to a daughter of a king in a formal or literary sense.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse the tones, pronouncing it incorrectly as 'gōngzhǔ' with both syllables in a high tone. The correct pronunciation is 'gōngzhǔ' with '公' high and '主' falling.

Write 公主

公
主

Practice writing 公主 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 公主

You pronounce it as gōngzhǔ, with a high tone on 公 and a falling tone on 主.

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