肃然起敬 (sù rán qǐ jìng) — to be filled with deep veneration and respect; to feel awestruck admiration

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning to feel sudden, awestruck respect — the solemn kind, not casual politeness. Usually triggered by someone's deeds or character (see 敬佩, the steady admiration you already know).

idiom
to be filled with deep veneration and respectto feel awestruck admiration

Examples

  • ，肃然起敬。
    Kàn dào zhè wèi lǎo rén jǐ shí nián rú yí rì dì bāng zhù bié rén, wǒ bù jīn sù rán qǐ jìng.
    Seeing this elderly person help others consistently for decades, I couldn't help but feel deep respect.
  • 肃然起敬。
    Tā de wú sī fèng xiàn ràng suǒ yǒu rén sù rán qǐ jìng.
    His selfless dedication filled everyone with deep veneration.
  • ，肃然起敬。
    Tīng le yīng xióng de gù shi, guān zhòng wú bú sù rán qǐ jìng.
    After hearing the hero's story, the audience was filled with deep respect.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 肅; 肃 is its simplified writing.

  • 𦘒𦘒𦘒
  • 𣶒𣶒𣶒

The traditional form 肅 is made of 𦘒 and 𣶒, whose picture is unclear; one old explanation sees a person sweeping or walking with a staff near an abyss, trembling in fear. The simplified 肃 is a later shorthand.

Open 肃 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
肰
肰rán然rán
Same sound today

然 is made from 肰, which gives the sound, and 火, which shows fire, matching the old sense 'to burn'.

Open 然 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

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 →

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