爵位 (juéwèi): title of nobility

Meanings

1 title of nobility
2 rank of peerage
3 feudal title

Characters

爵

jué

noble rank; ancient wine vessel

位

wèi

position; rank

Examples

他因军功被封了爵位。

Tā yīn jūngōng bèi fēng le juéwèi.

He was granted a noble title for his military achievements.

英国的爵位制度至今仍然存在。

Yīngguó de juéwèi zhìdù zhìjīn réngrán cúnzài.

The British peerage system still exists today.

Tips

culture

The classic Zhou-dynasty Chinese ranks — 公 (Duke, gōng), 侯 (Marquis, hóu), 伯 (Count, bó), 子 (Viscount, zǐ), 男 (Baron, nán) — are the same five used to translate the corresponding European peerage. So British dukes are 公爵, marquesses are 侯爵, etc. — Chinese 爵位 vocabulary maps onto European nobility surprisingly cleanly.