König

König is the German word for king, the male monarch of a kingdom. It is used in historical and contemporary contexts to denote a ruler, and it appears in a variety of compound terms such as Königreich (kingdom) and Königsfamilie (royal family). In chess and related language, the term also designates the king.

The word derives from Old High German kuning, from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz, and is cognate with English king and Dutch koning. The modern noun is declined with the definite article der König in the singular and die Könige in the plural; the related feminine form Königin refers to a queen.

König is also a common German surname. As a surname, König typically originated as an occupational or descriptive name for someone associated with a king or perceived as regal, or as a toponymic or nickname. Because of umlaut spelling, it is frequently rendered as Koenig or Koenig without umlaut in international contexts.

In addition to its primary meaning, the term appears in place names, family names, and cultural expressions within German-speaking areas. The concept of a king as a sovereign figure has influenced history, law, and heraldry across German-speaking regions, as well as in neighboring languages that borrow the term.