The Military ranks of the Republic of China are the ranks used by the Republic of China Armed Forces.[lower-alpha 1] The official military rank names in Traditional Chinese are identical across all different military branches, but their English translations may be different.
Commissioned officer ranks[]
The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
Rank group | General/flag officers | Field/senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||
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Rank | 一級上將 | 二級上將 | 中將 | 少將 | 上校 | 中校 | 少校 | 上尉 | 中尉 | 少尉 |
Mandarin | Yījí Shàngjiàng | Èrjí Shàngjiàng | Zhōngjiàng | Shaojiàng | Shàngxiào | Zhōngxiào | Shàoxiào | Shàngwèi | Zhōngwèi | Shàowèi |
Taiwanese Hokkien | It-kip Siōng-chiòng | Jī-kip Siōng-chiòng | Tiong-chiòng | Siáu-chiòng | Siōng-hāu | Tiong-hāu | Siáu-hāu | Siōng-ùi | Tiong-ùi | Siáu-ùi |
Hakka | Yit-khi̍p Song-chiông | Ngi-khi̍p Song-chiông | Chûng-chiông | Seu-chiông | Song-káu | Chûng-káu | Seu-káu | Song-ví | Chûng-ví | Seu-ví |
Literal translation | First class upper leader | Second class upper leader | Middle leader | Junior leader | Upper field officer | Middle field officer | Junior field officer | Upper officer | Middle officer | Junior officer |
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Translation[2] | Full general | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant |
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Translation[2] | Lieutenant general | Major general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | ||
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Translation[2] | Full admiral | Admiral | Vice admiral | Rear admiral | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander | Lieutenant | Lieutenant (junior grade) | Ensign |
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Translation[2] | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | |
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Translation[2] | Full general | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant |
Rank group | General/flag officers | Field/senior officers | Junior officers |
Other ranks[]
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
Rank group | Non-commissioned officers | Enlisted personnel | |||||||
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Rank | 一等士官長 | 二等士官長 | 三等士官長 | 上士 | 中士 | 下士 | 上等兵 | 一等兵 | 二等兵 |
Mandarin | Yīděng Shìguānzhǎng | Èrděng Shìguānzhǎng | Sānděng Shìguānzhǎng | Shàngshi | Zhōngshi | Xiàshi | Shàngděng Bīng | Yīděng Bīng | Èrděng Bīng |
Taiwanese | It-téng Sū-koaⁿ-tiúⁿ | Jī-téng Sū-koaⁿ-tiúⁿ | Sàm-téng Sū-koaⁿ-tiúⁿ | Siōng-sū | Tiong-sū | Hā-sū | Siōng-téng Peng | It-téng Peng | Jī-téng Peng |
Hakka | Yit-tén Sṳ-kôn-chóng | Ngi-tén Sṳ-kôn-chóng | Sâm-tén Sṳ-kôn-chóng | Song-sṳ | Chûng-sṳ | Ha-sṳ | Song-tén Pîn | Yit-tén Pîn | Ngi-tén Pîn |
Literal translation | First class warrior commander | Second class warrior commander | Third class warrior commander | Upper warrior | Middle warrior | Lower warrior | Upper class soldier | First class soldier | Second class soldier |
Translation[2][5] | First class master sergeant | Second class master sergeant | Third class master sergeant | Sergeant | Staff sergeant | Corporal | Private upper class | Private first class | Private |
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Historic ranks[]
After the government of the Republic of China relocated to Taiwan in December 1949, the military rank system had a large reform in 1956. As a result, the contemporary rank structure is closer to the one used by the United States Armed Forces.
Officer rank[]
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Rank | 特級上將 | 一級上將 | 二級上將 | 中將 | 少將 | 代將 | 上校 | 中校 | 少校 | 上尉 | 中尉 | 少尉 | ||||||||||||
Mandarin | Tèjí shàngjiàng | Yījí shàngjiàng | Èrjí shàngjiàng | Zhōngjiàng | Shàojiàng | Dàijiāng | Shàngxiào | Zhōngxiào | Shàoxiào | Shàngwèi | Zhōngwèi | Shàowèi | ||||||||||||
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1980–2000[7] | Abolished | ![]() |
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Other ranks[]
Rank group | Non-commissioned officers | Soldiers | ||||
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上士 | 中士 | 下士 | 上等兵 | 一等兵 | 二等兵 | |
Shàng shì | Zhōng shì | Xiàshì | Shàngděngbīng | Yī děng bīng | Èrděngbīng | |
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See also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Colloquially known as the Taiwanese Armed Forces to distinguish from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
References[]
Citations[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Regulations 1996, p. 65.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Ministry of National Defense 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Regulations 1996, p. 66.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Regulations 1996, p. 67.
- ↑ Ministry of National Defense 2022.
- ↑ Ping 2009, p. 657.
- ↑ Ping 2009, pp. 674–675.
- ↑ Mollo 2001, p. 192.
Sources[]
- Mollo, Andrew (2001). The Armed Forces of World War II: Uniforms, Insignia & Organisation. Leicester: Silverdale books. ISBN 1-85605-603-1.
- "Lùhǎikōng jūnfú zhì tiáolì fù tú". 7 November 1996. pp. 65–67. https://www.president.gov.tw/Portals/0/Bulletins/paper/PDF/6769-2.PDF.
- "Act of Commission for Officers and Noncommissioned Officers of the Armed Forces". Ministry of Justice. 4 December 2019. https://law.moj.gov.tw/ENG/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=F0030002.
- "Act of Military Service for Volunteer Enlisted Soldiers". Ministry of Justice. 19 January 2022. https://law.moj.gov.tw/ENG/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=F0040007.
- Ping, Xu, ed (2009). Zhōngguó bǎinián jūnfú (zēngbǔ bǎn) (2nd ed.). Gold Wall Press. ISBN 978-7-80084-679-3. https://archive.org/details/zhongguobainianj0000unse/mode/2up. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- Shang Rong Wu (2018) (in zh). 100 Years of the Chinese Military Uniform. King Kong Publishing. ISBN 978-986-97216-1-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=BiWmDwAAQBAJ. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
External links[]
- "Taiwan". The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. http://www.uniforminsignia.org/index.php?option=com_insigniasearch&Itemid=53&search_id=main&state=173&search_id=top.
The original article can be found at Republic of China Armed Forces rank insignia and the edit history here.