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Chinese military ranks

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How officers’ ranks are built

少 junior中 middle上 senior大 highest
将 Generals少将 major general中将 lieutenant general上将 general大将 senior general, 1955–65
校 Field officers少校 major中校 lieutenant colonel上校 colonel大校 senior colonel
尉 Company officers少尉 second lieutenant中尉 lieutenant上尉 captain—

Generals

  1. yuán元shuài帅

    marshal (military rank)

  2. dà大jiàng将

    senior general; high-ranking general

  3. shàng上jiàng将

    general (military rank above lieutenant general); admiral

  4. zhōng中jiàng将

    lieutenant general; vice admiral

  5. shào少jiàng将

    major general; rear admiral

Field officers

  1. dà大xiào校

    senior colonel (military rank)

  2. shàng上xiào校

    colonel; captain (navy)

  3. zhōng中xiào校

    lieutenant colonel; commander (navy)

  4. shào少xiào校

    major (military rank); lieutenant commander (navy)

Company officers

  1. shàng上wèi尉

    captain (military rank)

  2. zhōng中wèi尉

    lieutenant; first lieutenant

  3. shào少wèi尉

    second lieutenant

Soldiers and sergeants

  1. shàng上shì士

    staff sergeant; sergeant first class

  2. zhōng中shì士

    sergeant (military rank)

  3. xià下shì士

    corporal; sergeant (lowest NCO rank)

  4. shàng上děng等bīng兵

    private first class

  5. liè列bīng兵

    private (lowest military rank)

Ranks in ancient China

  1. jiāng将jūn军

    general (military rank)

  2. dà大yuán元shuài帅

    generalissimo; supreme commander

  3. tǒng统shuài帅

    commander in chief

  4. dū都dū督

    military governor; commander-in-chief (in imperial and early Republican China)

  5. dū都wèi尉

    commandant (military rank in ancient China)

  6. xiào校wèi尉

    (archaic) military officer rank in imperial China

  7. fù副jiàng将

    deputy general; lieutenant general

  8. xiān先fēng锋

    vanguard; pioneer

  9. jūn军shī师

    military adviser; strategist

  10. cān参móu谋

    staff officer

Ranks of nobility

  1. jué爵wèi位

    title of nobility; peerage

  2. gōng公jué爵

    duke

  3. hóu侯jué爵

    marquis

  4. bó伯jué爵

    count; earl

  5. zǐ子jué爵

    viscount

  6. nán男jué爵

    baron

The armed forces

  1. jūn军xián衔

    military rank

  2. jūn军duì队

    army; troops

  3. jiě解fàng放jūn军

    People's Liberation Army; PLA

  4. lù陆jūn军

    army; ground forces

  5. hǎi海jūn军

    navy

  6. kōng空jūn军

    air force

  7. bù部duì队

    army; troops

  8. jūn军guān官

    officer (military)

  9. shì士bīng兵

    soldier

  10. jūn军rén人

    soldier; serviceman

  11. zhàn战shì士

    soldier; fighter

  12. sī司lìng令

    commander; commanding officer

  13. dāng当bīng兵

    to serve in the army; to be a soldier

  14. tuì退wǔ伍

    to be discharged from the military; to retire from service

  15. jūn军yíng营

    military camp; barracks

  16. jūn军zhuāng装

    military uniform

  17. jūn军xùn训

    military training (esp. for students)

Commands

  1. lì立zhèng正

    to stand at attention

  2. shào稍xī息

    at ease (military command)

  3. jìng敬lǐ礼

    to salute

  4. bào报gào告

    (military) sir (said to request permission or report)

What are the Chinese military ranks in order?

Officers, highest first: 上将 (shàngjiàng) general, 中将 lieutenant general, 少将 major general; 大校 (dàxiào) senior colonel, 上校 colonel, 中校 lieutenant colonel, 少校 major; 上尉 (shàngwèi) captain, 中尉 lieutenant, 少尉 second lieutenant. Below them come the sergeants, 上士, 中士 and 下士, then 上等兵 (shàngděngbīng), private first class, and 列兵 (lièbīng), private.

How are Chinese military ranks built?

Two characters: the tier, then the step. 将 (jiàng) is a general, 校 (xiào) a field officer and 尉 (wèi) a company officer; 少 (shào) is the lowest step, 中 (zhōng) the middle and 上 (shàng) the highest. So 少校 is the lowest field officer, a major, and 上将 the highest general. The navy and air force use the same ranks: 海军上将 (hǎijūn shàngjiàng) is an admiral.

Does China have a field marshal?

Not today. 元帅 (yuánshuài), marshal, and 大将 (dàjiàng), senior general, were given in 1955 to the commanders of the revolution, and the ranks were abolished in 1965. Today’s highest rank is 上将.

What were the military ranks in ancient China?

They changed with each dynasty, but the words you meet in histories and dramas are 将军 (jiāngjūn), general, the 大元帅 (dàyuánshuài), supreme commander, 都督 (dūdū), a military governor, 校尉 (xiàowèi) and 都尉 (dūwèi), officers, 副将 (fùjiàng), a deputy general, 先锋 (xiānfēng), the vanguard, and 军师 (jūnshī), the strategist, like 诸葛亮 (Zhūgě Liàng).

What are the five ranks of Chinese nobility?

公侯伯子男 (gōng hóu bó zǐ nán): 公爵 (gōngjué) duke, 侯爵 (hóujué) marquis, 伯爵 (bójué) count, 子爵 (zǐjué) viscount and 男爵 (nánjué) baron. They are ancient Chinese titles, and Chinese uses them for European nobility too.

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More on Chinese history

Ranks, pinyin and meanings from our own dictionary; the ranks are those of China’s armed forces, whose enlisted grades are subdivided further.