郞 (láng) - Ancient official title & gentleman

郞Tone 2

láng ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

郞 · láng

Ancient official title;

gentleman;

young man;

term of respect for a man;

variant form of 郎.

Ancient official titlegentlemanyoung man

Usage highlights

Court officialYoung manBridegroomTalented manOfficial titleMr. Wang

Synonyms

  • 郎— Official; young man (standard form)
  • 官— Official; officer
  • 士— Scholar; gentleman

Antonyms

  • 妾— Concubine (female counterpart)
  • 妇— Woman; wife

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He served as a court official (侍郞).
  • The young man was talented (才郞).
  • This is Mr. Wang's residence (王郞宅).
  • The bridegroom arrived (新郞来了).

Collocations

  • Court official(侍郞)
  • Young man(郞君)
  • Bridegroom(新郞)
  • Talented man(才郞)
  • Official title(郞中)
  • Mr. Wang(王郞)

Idioms

  • The young man of the Zhou family(周郞顾曲)
  • The night enters Langzhong(夜郞自大)
  • The talented scholar and beautiful lady(郎才女貌)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally an official title in ancient China, often referring to imperial attendants or court officials.
  • Later extended to mean 'young man' or 'gentleman', used as a respectful form of address for men.
  • In modern usage, commonly appears in words like 'bridegroom' (新郎) and as a surname.
  • The character 郞 is a variant form of 郎, with identical meaning and usage.

FAQ