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回敬 (huí jìng) — to reciprocate (a toast, compliment, favor, etc.)

Definition

回敬 means to return a gesture in kind — a toast, compliment, gift, or even a retort. It carries a polite or ceremonial tone, stronger than just 'responding'; the prefix 回 emphasizes reciprocity.

verb
to reciprocate (a toast, compliment, favor, etc.)

Examples

  • ，回敬。
    Tā jìng le wǒ yì bēi, wǒ yě huí jìng le tā yì bēi.
    He toasted me, and I toasted him back.
  • ，回敬。
    Duì yú nǐ de zàn měi, wǒ huí jìng yí jù xiè xie.
    In return for your compliment, I say thank you.
  • ，回敬。
    Tā sòng le wǒ yí fèn lǐ wù, wǒ huí jìng le tā yí fèn.
    She gave me a gift, and I gave her one in return.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

回huíreturn
敬jìngtoast or compliment

回 means to return, and 敬 refers to a toast or compliment, so the word describes giving back what was offered.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 茍茍jìkneeling person or sitting dog
  • 攴攴pūhand holding a stick, authority

敬 is possibly formed from 茍, a kneeling person or sitting dog, and 攴, a hand holding a stick.

Open 敬 →
Appears in
Communication & SpeechGreetings & Politeness

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