王国(おうこく)

おうこく
noun
kingdom
1. kingdom; realm ruled by a king or queen
A country or state governed by a monarch (king or queen). Used in the official names of countries such as the United Kingdom.
タイは王国(おうこく)である。
Thailand is a kingdom.
中世(ちゅうせい)ヨーロッパにはたくさんの王国(おうこく)があった。
There were many kingdoms in medieval Europe.
連合(れんごう)王国(おうこく)はイングランド、スコットランド、ウェールズ、北(きた)アイルランドから成(な)る。
The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
2. kingdom; realm; domain (figurative)
Used figuratively to describe a region or field dominated by a particular thing, or a place strongly associated with something.
静岡(しずおか)はお茶(ちゃ)の王国(おうこく)だ。
Shizuoka is the kingdom of tea.
ラーメンの王国(おうこく)と呼(よ)ばれる街(まち)。
A town called the kingdom of ramen.
彼(かれ)は自分(じぶん)だけの小(ちい)さな王国(おうこく)を築(きず)き上(あ)げた。
He built up his own little kingdom.

王国(おうこく) refers to a country ruled by a king or queen. It also has a common figurative use meaning a place or domain strongly associated with something.

COMPOSITION:
王(おう) (king) + 国(こく) (country).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 連合(れんごう)王国(おうこく): United Kingdom
  • 動物(どうぶつ)の王国(おうこく): animal kingdom
  • 〜の王国(おうこく): the kingdom of ~ (figurative — e.g., ラーメンの王国(おうこく))

RELATED TERMS:

  • 帝国(ていこく): empire
  • 共和国(きょうわこく): republic
  • 国王(こくおう): king
  • 王様(おうさま): king (more casual/fairy-tale usage)

USAGE:
The figurative sense is very productive in Japanese. Regions known for a product or specialty are often called 〜の王国(おうこく), as in 静岡(しずおか)はお茶(ちゃ)の王国(おうこく) (Shizuoka is the kingdom of tea).

Related Words

Related: 皇帝(こうてい) (emperor)
general
Added 2026.3.8 21:24 · Revised 2026.3.29 19:42
15500/15857_oukoku