---
title: "Chinese Military Ranks in Order: From 上将 and 上校 to 列兵, Ancient Titles and Nobility (公侯伯子男)"
description: "Chinese military ranks in order, from general 上将 and colonel 上校 down to private 列兵, how 将, 校 and 尉 build every officer’s rank, ancient titles like 将军, 都督 and 军师, the five ranks of nobility 公侯伯子男, and 54 words with pinyin and sound."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-military-ranks"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free · 54 words

# Chinese military ranks

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E5%85%83%E5%B8%85%20%E5%A4%A7%E5%B0%86%20%E4%B8%8A%E5%B0%86%20%E4%B8%AD%E5%B0%86%20%E5%B0%91%E5%B0%86%20%E5%A4%A7%E6%A0%A1%20%E4%B8%8A%E6%A0%A1%20%E4%B8%AD%E6%A0%A1%20%E5%B0%91%E6%A0%A1%20%E4%B8%8A%E5%B0%89%20%E4%B8%AD%E5%B0%89%20%E5%B0%91%E5%B0%89%20%E4%B8%8A%E5%A3%AB%20%E4%B8%AD%E5%A3%AB%20%E4%B8%8B%E5%A3%AB%20%E4%B8%8A%E7%AD%89%E5%85%B5%20%E5%88%97%E5%85%B5%20%E5%B0%86%E5%86%9B%20%E5%A4%A7%E5%85%83%E5%B8%85%20%E7%BB%9F%E5%B8%85%20%E9%83%BD%E7%9D%A3%20%E9%83%BD%E5%B0%89%20%E6%A0%A1%E5%B0%89%20%E5%89%AF%E5%B0%86%20%E5%85%88%E9%94%8B%20%E5%86%9B%E5%B8%88%20%E5%8F%82%E8%B0%8B%20%E7%88%B5%E4%BD%8D%20%E5%85%AC%E7%88%B5%20%E4%BE%AF%E7%88%B5%20%E4%BC%AF%E7%88%B5%20%E5%AD%90%E7%88%B5%20%E7%94%B7%E7%88%B5%20%E5%86%9B%E8%A1%94%20%E5%86%9B%E9%98%9F%20%E8%A7%A3%E6%94%BE%E5%86%9B%20%E9%99%86%E5%86%9B%20%E6%B5%B7%E5%86%9B%20%E7%A9%BA%E5%86%9B%20%E9%83%A8%E9%98%9F%20%E5%86%9B%E5%AE%98%20%E5%A3%AB%E5%85%B5%20%E5%86%9B%E4%BA%BA%20%E6%88%98%E5%A3%AB%20%E5%8F%B8%E4%BB%A4%20%E5%BD%93%E5%85%B5%20%E9%80%80%E4%BC%8D%20%E5%86%9B%E8%90%A5%20%E5%86%9B%E8%A3%85%20%E5%86%9B%E8%AE%AD%20%E7%AB%8B%E6%AD%A3%20%E7%A8%8D%E6%81%AF%20%E6%95%AC%E7%A4%BC%20%E6%8A%A5%E5%91%8A)

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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

yuán元shuài帅

marshal (military rank)

dà大jiàng将

senior general; high-ranking general

shàng上jiàng将

general (military rank above lieutenant general); admiral

zhōng中jiàng将

lieutenant general; vice admiral

shào少jiàng将

major general; rear admiral

## Field officers

dà大xiào校

senior colonel (military rank)

shàng上xiào校

colonel; captain (navy)

zhōng中xiào校

lieutenant colonel; commander (navy)

shào少xiào校

major (military rank); lieutenant commander (navy)

## Company officers

shàng上wèi尉

captain (military rank)

zhōng中wèi尉

lieutenant; first lieutenant

shào少wèi尉

second lieutenant

## Soldiers and sergeants

shàng上shì士

staff sergeant; sergeant first class

zhōng中shì士

sergeant (military rank)

xià下shì士

corporal; sergeant (lowest NCO rank)

shàng上děng等bīng兵

private first class

liè列bīng兵

private (lowest military rank)

## Ranks in ancient China

jiāng将jūn军

general (military rank)

dà大yuán元shuài帅

generalissimo; supreme commander

tǒng统shuài帅

commander in chief

dū都dū督

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

dū都wèi尉

commandant (military rank in ancient China)

xiào校wèi尉

(archaic) military officer rank in imperial China

fù副jiàng将

deputy general; lieutenant general

xiān先fēng锋

vanguard; pioneer

jūn军shī师

military adviser; strategist

cān参móu谋

staff officer

## Ranks of nobility

jué爵wèi位

title of nobility; peerage

gōng公jué爵

duke

hóu侯jué爵

marquis

bó伯jué爵

count; earl

zǐ子jué爵

viscount

nán男jué爵

baron

## The armed forces

jūn军xián衔

military rank

jūn军duì队

army; troops

jiě解fàng放jūn军

People's Liberation Army; PLA

lù陆jūn军

army; ground forces

hǎi海jūn军

navy

kōng空jūn军

air force

bù部duì队

army; troops

jūn军guān官

officer (military)

shì士bīng兵

soldier

jūn军rén人

soldier; serviceman

zhàn战shì士

soldier; fighter

sī司lìng令

commander; commanding officer

dāng当bīng兵

to serve in the army; to be a soldier

tuì退wǔ伍

to be discharged from the military; to retire from service

jūn军yíng营

military camp; barracks

jūn军zhuāng装

military uniform

jūn军xùn训

military training (esp. for students)

## Commands

lì立zhèng正

to stand at attention

shào稍xī息

at ease (military command)

jìng敬lǐ礼

to salute

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.

## Can’t hear it?

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## More on Chinese history

- [Chinese warrior and emperor names](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-warrior-and-emperor-names)
- [Chinese martial arts and weapons](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-martial-arts)
- [Chinese dynasties in order](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dynasties)
- [Chinese honorifics](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-honorifics)

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