Refers to the heir apparent to the throne in a monarchy, especially in historical or formal contexts.
太子は国の将来を担う存在だ。
The crown prince is the one who will bear the future of the country.
The young prince was installed as crown prince at a young age.
Prince Shōtoku
Abbreviation of 聖徳太子 (Shōtoku Taishi), a prominent historical figure. Used mainly in historical or cultural contexts.
太子が建立した法隆寺は世界遺産に登録されている。
Hōryū-ji, which was founded by Prince Shōtoku, is registered as a World Heritage site.
彼は兄の死後、太子となった。
After his older brother's death, he became the crown prince.
王太子 is used for the crown prince of a kingdom (as opposed to an empire), whereas 太子 is a broader or more classical/historical term for a crown prince in general.
太子 (crown prince) and 大使 (ambassador) are pronounced identically as たいし but refer to completely unrelated roles.
From Chinese 太子 (tàizǐ), meaning 'crown prince'. The abbreviation for Prince Shōtoku comes from the historical figure 聖徳太子 (Shōtoku Taishi).