献 xiàn — to offer
他为这项研究献出了一生的精力。Tā wèi zhè xiàng yán jiū xiàn chū le yì shēng de jīng lì.He devoted his whole life to this research.
Common words: 贡献 (gòng xiàn)、奉献 (fèng xiàn)、文献 (wén xiàn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to offer"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to offer", including 献 (xiàn), 敬 (jìng), 奉 (fèng), 呈 (chéng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to offer" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 献 (xiàn), 敬 (jìng), 奉 (fèng), 呈 (chéng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xiàn, jìng, fèng, chéng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 献 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 献 xiànto offerUseful words: 贡献, 奉献
- 敬 jìngto respect; to venerate; to salute; to offerUseful words: 尊敬, 敬爱
- 奉 fèngto receive (from superior); to offer; to revereUseful words: 奉献, 无可奉告
- 呈 chéngto assume (a form); to submit; to petition; to show; to present; to offerUseful words: 呈现, 辞呈
Common words for these 4 "to offer" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 献 (xiàn) — so "to offer" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
贡献gòng xiànto contribute; to dedicate; to devote; contribution奉献fèng xiànto offer respectfully; to consecrate; to dedicate; to devote文献wén xiànreference material (used in scholarly study)尊敬zūn jìngto respect; to revere; to esteem; honorable敬爱jìng àito respect and love; to hold in high esteem敬礼jìng lǐto salute; salute奉献fèng xiànto offer respectfully; to consecrate; to dedicate; to devote无可奉告wú kě fèng gào(idiom) no comment供奉gòng fèngto consecrate; to enshrine and worship; an offering (to one's ancestors); a sacrifice (to a god)呈现chéng xiànto appear; to emerge; to present (a certain appearance); to demonstrate
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "to offer".
敬 jìng — to respect; to venerate; to salute; to offer
我们要尊敬长辈。Wǒ men yào zūn jìng zhǎng bèi.We should respect our elders.
Common words: 尊敬 (zūn jìng)、敬爱 (jìng ài)、敬礼 (jìng lǐ)
奉 fèng — to receive (from superior); to offer; to revere
他一生奉献给了教育事业。Tā yì shēng fèng xiàn gěi le jiào yù shì yè.He devoted his whole life to education.
Common words: 奉献 (fèng xiàn)、无可奉告 (wú kě fèng gào)、供奉 (gòng fèng)
呈 chéng — to assume (a form); to submit; to petition; to show; to present; to offer
雨后的天空呈现出一片金色。Yǔ hòu de tiān kōng chéng xiàn chū yí piàn jīn sè.The sky after the rain takes on a golden color.
Common words: 呈现 (chéng xiàn)、辞呈 (cí chéng)、呈文 (chéng wén)
All 4 characters
Open 献、敬、奉 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.