(chóng) — (bound form) to esteem, to worship; (bound form) lofty, high

Definition

崇 is a bound morph meaning 'to revere' or 'lofty' that combines with words like 拜, 敬, or 高 to form set expressions (崇拜, 崇敬, 崇高). It almost never stands alone.

bound form
to esteemto worshiploftyhigh

Examples

  • Hěn duō rén chóng bài zhè wèi wěi dà de kē xué jiā.
    Many people worship this great scientist.
  • Tā yōng yǒu chóng gāo de lǐ xiǎng hé jiān dìng de xìn niàn.
    He has lofty ideals and firm convictions.
  • Wǒ men yīng dāng chóng jìng nà xiē wèi guó jiā zuò chū xī shēng de rén.
    We should revere those who have made sacrifices for the country.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

崇 is built from 山 (mountain) on top and 宗 below; the mountain shows the idea, while 宗 gives the sound.

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