| 男 | nán | (bound form) male / baron, the lowest of the five ranks of nobility 五等爵位[wu3deng3 jue2wei4] |
| 公 | gōng | public / collectively owned / common / international (e.g. high seas, metric system, calendar) / make public / fair / just / Duke, highest of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wu3 deng3 jue2 wei4] / honorable (gentlemen) / father-in-law / male (animal) |
| 伯 | bó | father's elder brother / senior / paternal elder uncle / eldest of brothers / respectful form of address / Count, third of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wu3 deng3 jue2 wei4] |
| 子 | zǐ | son / child / seed / egg / small thing / 1st earthly branch: 11 p.m.-1 a.m., midnight, 11th solar month (7th December to 5th January), year of the rat / viscount, fourth of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wu3deng3 jue2wei4] / ancient Chinese compass point: 0° (north) / subsidiary; subordinate; (prefix) sub- |
| 侯 | hóu | marquis, second of the five orders of ancient Chinese nobility 五等爵位[wu3deng3 jue2wei4] / nobleman; high official |
| 五等爵位 | wǔ děng jué wèi | five orders of feudal nobility, namely: Duke 公[gong1], Marquis 侯[hou2], Count 伯[bo2], Viscount 子[zi3], Baron 男[nan2] |