王子 (wáng zǐ) literally means 'king’s child' — 王 (wáng) means 'king' or 'monarch', and 子 (zǐ) means 'child' or 'son'. While it most commonly refers to a male royal heir — especially the son of a king or emperor — it can also be used more broadly for any male member of a royal family with princely status. Historically, in imperial China, the term applied to sons of the emperor, though specific titles like 太子 (tài zǐ, crown prince) indicated the designated heir.

In modern usage, 王子 appears frequently in literature, fairy tales (e.g., Disney translations), and media, often carrying connotations of nobility, charm, or idealized masculinity. It’s also used metaphorically — for instance, in phrases like '白马王子' (bái mǎ wáng zǐ, 'white horse prince') meaning a dream romantic partner. Unlike English, Chinese doesn’t use 王子 to refer to non-royal men as a casual compliment unless clearly figurative or ironic.