閻王

See also: 阎王

Chinese

		gate of village	king; Wang (proper name)
trad. (閻王)		閻	王
simp. (阎王)		阎	王

Etymology

Partial calque of Sanskrit यमराज (yamarāja).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): Yánwáng

(Zhuyin): ㄧㄢˊ ㄨㄤˊ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ȵian² wang^2-1

(Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): yánwang

(Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): yénwan
Cantonese (Jyutping): jim⁴ wong⁴
Gan (Wiktionary): ien⁴ uong
Hakka (Meixian, Guangdong): yam² vong²
Eastern Min (BUC): Ngià^→ngiá-uòng
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ngieng² orng²
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): Giâm-ông
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶gni-waon₆
Xiang
(Changsha, Wiktionary): nyienn² uan²

(Loudi, Wiktionary): ninn² ng^2*

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: Yánwáng → Yánwang (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˊ ㄨㄤˊ → ㄧㄢˊ ˙ㄨㄤ (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Tongyong Pinyin: Yánwång
  - Wade–Giles: Yen²-wang⁵
  - Yale: Yán-wang
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Yan.wang
  - Palladius: Яньван (Janʹvan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn³⁵ wɑŋ³⁵/ → /jɛn³⁵ wɑŋ³/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: ȵian² wang^2-1
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: nianwong
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /nʲiɛn²¹ uaŋ²¹⁻⁵⁵/
- (Xi'an)
  - Guanzhong Pinyin: yánwang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iã²⁴ uaŋ/
- (Nanjing)
  - Nanjing Pinyin: yénwan [Phonetic: yěnwan]
  - Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): yen² wan⁰ [Phonetic: yen³ wan⁰]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iẽ²⁴⁻¹¹ uã/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: jim⁴ wong⁴
  - Yale: yìhm wòhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jim⁴ wong⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: yim⁴ wong⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːm²¹ wɔːŋ²¹/
  - Homophones:
    ^edit
    ^edit
    炎黃 / 炎黄
    閻王 / 阎王
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: ien⁴ uong
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /iɛn³⁵ uɔŋ²/
Hakka
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: yam² vong²
  - Sinological IPA: /iam¹¹ ʋɔŋ¹¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: Ngià^→ngiá-uòng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋia⁵³⁻⁵⁵ uoŋ⁵³/
Puxian Min
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: ngieng² orng² [Phonetic: ngieng⁵ morng²]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋiɛŋ²⁴⁻²¹ ^(Ø-)mɒŋ²⁴/
- (Youyang)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: ngieng² orng² [Phonetic: ngieng⁵ ngorng²]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋiɛŋ²⁴⁻²¹ ^(Ø-)ŋɒŋ²⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Giâm-ông
  - Tâi-lô: Giâm-ông
  - Phofsit Daibuun: giam'oong
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /ɡiam²⁴⁻²² ɔŋ²⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /ɡiam²⁴⁻²² ɔŋ²⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɡiam¹³⁻²² ɔŋ¹³/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /ɡiam²⁴⁻¹¹ ɔŋ²⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡiam²³⁻³³ ɔŋ²³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶gni-waon₆
  - MiniDict: nyi^去 waon^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³nyi-hhuaan₃
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /n̠ʲi²² ɦuɑ̃⁴⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: nyienn² uan²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /n̠ʲi̯ẽ¹³ u̯an¹³/
- (Loudi)
  - Wiktionary: ninn² ng^2*
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /nĩ¹³ ŋ̍¹³⁻³³/

Middle Chinese: yem hjwang

Rime
Character	閻	王
Reading #	1/1	1/2
Initial (聲)	以 (36)	云 (35)
Final (韻)	鹽 (153)	陽 (106)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	余廉切	雨方切
Baxter	yem	hjwang
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/jiᴇm/	/ɦʉɐŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/jiɛm/	/ɦʷiɐŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/jæm/	/ɣiuɑŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/jiam/	/ɦuaŋ/
Li Rong	/iɛm/	/ɣiuaŋ/
Wang Li	/jĭɛm/	/ɣĭwaŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯ɛm/	/iwaŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yán	wáng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jim⁴	wong⁴

Proper noun

閻王

(Buddhism, Chinese mythology) synonym of 閻羅 / 阎罗 (Yánluó, “Yama (god of the underworld)”)

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 閻王 (“Yama”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		閻王, 閻羅, 閻羅王
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		閻王, 閻王爺, 閻羅, 閻羅王, 閻君
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	閻王, 閻王爺
	Chengde	閻王爺
	Chifeng	閻王爺
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	閻王爺
	Heihe	閻王, 閻王爺
	Qiqihar	閻王爺
	Harbin	閻王, 閻王爺
	Jiamusi	閻王爺
	Baicheng	閻王, 閻王爺
	Changchun	閻王爺
	Tonghua	閻王爺
	Shenyang	閻王, 閻王爺
	Jinzhou	閻王, 閻王爺
	Singapore	閻羅王
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	閻王爺
	Tangshan	閻王, 閻王爺
	Cangzhou	閻王爺
	Baoding	閻王, 閻王爺
	Shijiazhuang	閻王爺
	Lijin	閻王, 閻王爺爺
	Jinan	閻王, 閻王爺
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Dalian	閻王爺
	Dandong	閻王, 閻王爺
	Yantai	閻王
	Yantai (Muping)	閻王, 閻王爺
	Qingdao	閻王爺
	Zhucheng	閻王, 閻王爺爺
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	閻王
	Lingbao	閻王爺
	Jining	閻王爺
	Linfen	閻王爺
	Shangqiu	閻王, 閻王爺
	Yuanyang	閻王
	Zhengzhou	閻王爺
	Xinyang	閻王爺
	Baihe	閻王, 閻王爺
	Xi'an	閻王, 閻王爺
	Baoji	閻王, 閻王爺
	Tianshui	閻王爺
	Xining	閻王, 閻王爺
	Dunhuang (Hedong dialect)	閻王爺
	Xuzhou	閻王老爺, 閻王, 閻王爺, 閻王老子
	Fuyang	閻王, 閻王爺
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	閻王爺
	Lanzhou	閻王, 閻王爺
	Hami	閻王, 閻王爺
	Ürümqi	閻王爺
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	閻王, 閻王爺
	Nanchong	閻王, 閻王老爺
	Dazhou	閻王老爺
	Hanyuan	閻王老爺
	Xichang	閻王
	Zigong	閻王
	Chongqing	閻王
	Wuhan	閻王, 閻王爺
	Yichang	閻王, 閻王爺
	Xiangyang	閻王, 閻王爺
	Tianmen	閻王, 閻王五爹
	Guiyang	閻王, 閻王爺
	Zunyi	閻王
	Bijie	閻王
	Liping	閻王, 閻王老子
	Zhaotong	閻王, 閻王老二
	Dali	閻老王
	Kunming	閻王, 閻王爺
	Mengzi	閻王老爺
	Guilin	閻王
	Liuzhou	閻羅王, 閻王, 閻王爺, 閻王老子
	Nanning (Fujian)	閻羅皇
	Nanning (Wuming)	閻羅王
	Hechi (Yizhou)	閻羅王, 閻王, 閻王爺
	Luocheng (Dongmen)	閻王, 閻羅王
	Tianlin (Langping)	閻王
	Jishou	閻王
	Changde	閻王老爺
	Yongzhou	閻王菩薩
	Xiangtan (Jiangnan Industries Group koine)	閻王爺
	Hanzhong	閻王, 閻王爺
	Dagudi (Maliba)	閻老王
	Reshuitang (Longling)	閻老王
	Mae Salong (Lancang)	閻老王
	Mae Sai (Tengchong)	閻王爺
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	閻王, 閻王爺, 閻王老爺
	Yangzhou	閻王, 閻王老爺
	Lianyungang	閻王, 閻王老爺
	Lianshui	閻王老爺
	Nantong	閻王, 閻王老爺
	Anqing	閻王
	Wuhu	閻王
	Hefei	閻王
	Hong'an	閻王老子, 閻王老子爺
Cantonese	Guangzhou	閻羅王, 閻流王
	Hong Kong	閻羅王
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	閻流王
	Macau	閻流王
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	閻頭王
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	閻流王
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	閻羅王
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	閻流王
	Foshan	閻流王
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	閻流王
	Foshan (Shunde)	閻流王
	Foshan (Sanshui)	閻流王
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	閻流王
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	閻流王
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	閻流王
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	閻流王
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	閻流王
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	閻流王
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	閻羅王
	Taishan	閻羅王
	Taishan (Guanghai)	閻羅王
	Kaiping (Chikan)	閻羅王
	Enping (Niujiang)	閻羅王
	Heshan (Yayao)	閻王
	Dongguan	閻羅王, 閻流王
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	閻流王
	Wuzhou	閻羅王, 閻王
	Yulin	閻王
	Baise	閻羅王, 閻王爺
	Qinzhou	閻羅王
Gan	Nanchang	閻王
	Pengze	閻王
	Yanshan (Hekou)	閻王
	Lichuan	閻王
	Pingxiang	閻王
Hakka	Meixian	閻王
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	閻頭王
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	閻羅王
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	閻羅王
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	閻王
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	閻羅王
	Yudu	閻王
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	閻羅王
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	閻羅王
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	閻羅王
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	閻羅王
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	閻羅王
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	閻羅王
Huizhou	Jixi	閻王
Huizhou	Shexian	閻王
Jin	Taiyuan	閻王爺
	Yangyuan	閻王, 閻王爺, 閻君
	Datong	閻王爺
	Datong (Xicetian, Yunzhou)	閻王爺
	Xinzhou	閻王爺
	Lüliang (Lishi)	閻王, 閻王爺兒
	Changzhi	閻爺, 閻王爺
	Linhe	閻王
	Jining	閻王爺
	Hohhot	閻王, 閻王爺
	Erenhot	閻王, 閻王爺
	Pingshan	閻王, 閻王爺
	Zhangjiakou	閻王, 閻王爺
	Handan	閻王, 閻王爺
	Linzhou	閻王爺
	Suide	閻王
Jiuxing Yumin	Jiande	閻龍王
	Jinhua	閻龍王
	Lanxi	閻龍王
	Tunxi	閻羅王
Northern Min	Jian'ou	閻羅王
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	閻羅王, 閻王
Southern Min	Xiamen	閻羅王, 閻君爺
	Quanzhou	閻羅王
	Zhangzhou	閻羅王
	Taipei (Wanhua)	閻羅王
	Kaohsiung	閻羅王
	Yilan	閻羅王
	Changhua (Lukang)	閻羅王
	Taichung	閻羅王
	Taichung (Wuqi)	閻羅王
	Tainan	閻羅王
	Taitung	閻羅
	Hsinchu	閻羅王
	Penghu (Magong)	閻羅爺
	Singapore (Hokkien)	閻羅王
	Shantou	閻羅王
	Leizhou	鬼皇
	Haikou	閻羅王
Puxian Min	Putian	閻君
	Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang)	閻君
	Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang)	閻君
	Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu)	閻君
	Xianyou	閻君, 閻王
	Xianyou (Fengting)	閻君
	Xianyou (Youyang)	閻君, 閻王
Central Min	Nanping (Wangtai, Yanping)	閻王
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	閻流王
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	閻羅王
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	閻龍王
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dongbianzhou)	閻王
Wu	Shanghai	閻羅王, 閻王
	Shanghai (Songjiang)	閻羅王
	Shanghai (Jiading)	閻羅王
	Shanghai (Chongming)	閻洛王
	Suzhou	閻洛王
	Danyang	閻王
	Hangzhou	閻羅王
	Hangzhou (Fuyang)	閻羅王
	Shaoxing	閻羅王, 閻羅大王
	Ningbo	閻羅大王
	Wenzhou	閻羅王
	Jinhua	閻龍王
Xiang	Changsha	閻王
	Xiangxiang (Meiqiao)	閻王
	Loudi	閻王
	Hengshan	閻王老子
	Hengshan (Baiguo)	閻王老子
	Qinglong (Changliu Laba Miao)	閻王

Derived terms

十殿閻王 / 十殿阎王
活閻王 / 活阎王 (huóyánwáng)
見閻王 / 见阎王 (jiàn Yánwáng)
閻王債 / 阎王债 (yánwángzhài)
閻王叫你三更死，誰敢留人到五更 / 阎王叫你三更死，谁敢留人到五更 (Yánwáng jiào nǐ sāngēng sǐ, shéi gǎn liú rén dào wǔgēng)
閻王好見，小鬼難當 / 阎王好见，小鬼难当
閻王帳 / 阎王帐
閻王星 / 阎王星 (Yánwángxīng)
閻王殿 / 阎王殿 (Yánwángdiàn)
閻王殿大罷工──冇鬼用 / 阎王殿大罢工──冇鬼用
閻王爺 / 阎王爷 (Yánwángyé)
閻王老子 / 阎王老子
閻王賬 / 阎王账 (yánwángzhàng)

Descendants

Cebuano: yawa
Hiligaynon: yawa
Tagalog: yawa
Waray-Waray: yawa

Noun

閻王

(figurative) ferocious or strict person; tyrant

References

李如龙 [Li, Ru-long]; 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu]; 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying]; 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019), “1510 阎王”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 439.