孝 (xiào) — filial piety (the Confucian virtue of respect and care for parents); mourning (the observance of filial mourning rites for a deceased parent)
Definition
A bound morpheme for 'filial piety' — the Confucian virtue of respecting and caring for one's parents. Almost never used alone; it appears in compounds like 孝顺 (filial) and 孝敬 (show filial respect).
bound form
filial piety (the Confucian virtue of respect and care for parents)mourning (the observance of filial mourning rites for a deceased parent)
Examples
- 孝。Zǐ nǚ yīng gāi duì fù mǔ jìn xiào.Children should fulfill their filial duties to their parents.
- 孝。xiào Shì zhōng guó wén huà zhōng de zhòng yào měi dé.Filial piety is an important virtue in Chinese culture.
- 孝，。Tā shǒu xiào sān nián, yǐ biǎo dá duì fù mǔ de āi sī.He observed filial mourning for three years to express his grief for his parents.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
- 耂耂lǎoan old man with long hair, bent over
- 子子zǐa child
孝 puts 耂, an old man with long hair, bent over, above 子, a child, to show filial care between generations.
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