Chinese · Titles & Forms of Address
太后
tàihòu
Also written: taihou; empress dowager; imperial dowager
The empress dowager, typically an emperor’s mother, stepmother, or the widow of a previous emperor who has received the formal dowager title.
Literal meaning
great empress or imperial dowager
Cultural context
A tàihòu’s real power depended on dynasty, age, family networks, and whether the reigning emperor was a child or politically dependent on her. Some ruled as regents or became central court power brokers.
How dramas use it
The empress dowager may approve marriages, protect succession, control palace appointments, oppose reforms, support a faction, or use seniority to challenge both emperor and empress.
Usage & formality
The fuller title 皇太后 also appears. Do not assume every elderly imperial woman is the emperor’s biological mother.