敬 (jìng) — to respect, to show respect to; to offer politely (e.g., a drink, tea, a salute)
Definition
敬 is a bound, formal verb: it pairs in set phrases like 敬茶 (serve tea) and 敬礼 (salute). Contrast 尊敬, which is a standalone verb/adjective meaning 'to revere / respectable'; 敬 alone is rarely used by itself.
verb
to respectto show respect toto offer politely (e.g., a drink, tea, a salute)
Examples
- ，敬。Zài hūn lǐ shàng, xīn rén xiàng fù mǔ jìng chá.At the wedding, the couple respectfully served tea to their parents.
- ，。Wǒ men yīng dāng zūn jìng shī zhǎng, gǎn xiè tā men de jiào dǎo.We should respect our teachers and thank them for their guidance.
- 敬。Shì bīng xiàng jiāng jūn jìng le yí gè lǐ.The soldier saluted the general.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo 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.
Appears in
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