Wei (Chinese: 尉; pinyin: wèi; Korean: 위/wi; Vietnamese: úy; Japanese: 尉/wi) is a category of company-grade (junior) officer military rank used in the armed forces of China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. The term originates from the Chinese character 尉, which historically denoted a military officer. In modern usage, it is the equivalent of the junior officer ranks (OF-1 to OF-2 in the NATO scale), corresponding to captain, first lieutenant, and second lieutenant.
Chinese variant
People's Liberation Army (China)
In the PLA, the same rank names are used across all services, prefixed by haijun (海军, "naval force") or kongjun (空军, "air force") for naval and air branches respectively. The wei ranks are:
| Chinese | Pinyin | Literal translation | Approximate equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大尉 | Dàwèi | Great officer | Senior Captain (used only 1955–1965) |
| 上尉 | Shàngwèi | Upper officer | Captain |
| 中尉 | Zhōngwèi | Middle officer | First Lieutenant |
| 少尉 | Shǎowèi | Lower officer | Second Lieutenant |
Republic of China Armed Forces (Taiwan)
The ROC Armed Forces use three wei ranks:
| Chinese | Taiwanese Hokkien | Literal translation | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 上尉 | Siōng-ùi | Upper officer | Captain |
| 中尉 | Tiong-ùi | Middle officer | First Lieutenant |
| 少尉 | Siáu-ùi | Lower officer | Second Lieutenant |
Korean variant
North Korea
In the Korean People's Army, the wei (위/尉) ranks are:
| Hangul | Hanja | Romanization | Literal translation | Ground Force equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 대위 | 大尉 | Taewi | Great rank | Senior Captain / Captain |
| 상위 | 上尉 | Sangwi | Upper rank | First Lieutenant |
| 중위 | 中尉 | Chungwi | Middle rank | Second Lieutenant |
| 소위 | 少尉 | Sowi | Lower rank | Second Lieutenant (junior) |
South Korea
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces also use the wei rank system with the same Chinese characters, though the specific English translations may vary slightly.
Vietnamese variant
In the Vietnam People's Army, the úy ranks are:
| Native name | Chữ Hán | Literal translation | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Đại úy | 大尉 | Grand officer | Captain |
| Thượng úy | 上尉 | Upper officer | Senior Lieutenant |
| Trung úy | 中尉 | Middle officer | Lieutenant |
| Thiếu úy | 少尉 | Smaller officer | Second Lieutenant |
South Vietnamese variant (historical)
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (1955–1975) used a similar system, with the addition of Chuẩn úy (准尉, "Quasi-officer") for aspirant/commissioned warrant officer.
Japanese variant
In the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the character 尉 is used for junior officer ranks (尉官/ikan), including 三等陸尉 (Third Lieutenant), 二等陸尉 (Second Lieutenant), and 一等陸尉 (First Lieutenant), among equivalent naval and air ranks.
See also
- Jiang (rank) – general officer ranks
- Xiao (rank) – field-grade officer ranks
- Military ranks of the People's Liberation Army
- Comparative military ranks of Korea
