帝

KANJI DETAIL

emperor

On readingてい

9 strokesN1

Radical 巾 · cloth

Stroke order

9 strokes

Japanese readings

On reading: てい
Kun reading: みかど

Study notes

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

Structure: 帝 means an emperor; its on-reading is てい.
Basic usage: 皇帝(こうてい) means an emperor, while 帝国(ていこく) means an empire.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

A ruler and a state
- 皇帝 refers to the emperor as a person appearing in a play or mural.
- 帝国 refers to an empire located on a map or described as ruling surrounding countries. Although both contain 帝, 皇帝 focuses on a person and 帝国 on a state.