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敦厚 (dūn hòu) — honest and sincere; (of character) earnest and kind

Definition

Used for a person's character: honest, sincere, and genuinely kind — warmer and more praising than 厚道, which focuses on being fair and decent. Compare 醇厚 (taste or character) and 憨厚 (simple, artless).

adjective
honest and sincere(of character) earnest and kind

Examples

  • 敦厚，。
    Tā wèi rén dūn hòu, péng you dōu hěn xǐ huan tā.
    He is honest and sincere in his dealings, so his friends all like him.
  • 敦厚。
    dūn hòu De xìng gé ràng tā yíng dé le dà jiā de zūn zhòng.
    His sincere character earned everyone's respect.
  • 敦厚，。
    Zhè wèi lǎo xiān sheng shuō huà dūn hòu, ràng rén jué de hěn wēn nuǎn.
    This old gentleman speaks in a sincere manner, making people feel warm.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

敦dūnearnest
厚hòugenerous

敦 suggests earnestness, and 厚 suggests generosity, giving an honest and kind character.

Characters in this word

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

  • 亯亯xiǎngancestral shrine
  • 羊羊yángsheep

The form behind 敦 combines 亯, an ancestral shrine, with 羊, a sheep, showing a cooked goat as a sacrifice.

Open 敦 →

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

  • 厂厂chǎngcliff; cave on a cliff
  • 𣆪𣆪𣆪jug

The shape of 厚 puts 𣆪, a jug, beneath 厂, a cliff or cave.

Open 厚 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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