陛下

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 陛下 is read as へいか and is the honorific title His Majesty or Her Majesty for a sovereign.
• Basic usage: It can follow a royal title, as in 国王陛下, or identify the sovereign to whom a person bows and reports.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Following a royal title
  • 国王陛下 respectfully refers to the king as His Majesty. Example: 使者は国王陛下からの手紙を読み上げた。
• Bowing and reporting to the sovereign
  • 陛下に marks the sovereign as the person receiving the minister’s bow and report. Example: 劇中の大臣は陛下に深く一礼して報告を始めた。