Dictionary

little emperor en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

A calque of Chinese 小皇帝 (xiǎohuángdì).

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) In contemporary China, a child with no siblings who is regarded as overly protected and spoiled. (Seen as belonging to a generation which is a product of China's "one-child" policy.)
   • Chinese psychologists recently have also written extensively about the emergence of so-called little emperors—arrogant, spoiled children who grow up without siblings. 1988 November 2, Edward A. Gargan, “Beijing Admits Easing of Birth Limits”, in The New York Times, page A3:
   • The Chinese have a special name for those tots: xiao huangdi, or "little emperors." 2004 October 4, Clay Chandler, “Little Emperors: China's only children—more than 100 million of them—make up the largest Me Generation ever”, in CNNMoney.com, retrieved 28 May 2007:

Forms

Translations (5)

ru поствосьмидеся́тник (spoiled child) · ja 小皇帝 (spoiled child) · ko 소황제 (spoiled child) · cmn 小皇帝 (spoiled child) · fi pikkukeisari (spoiled child)