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)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to respect"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to respect", including 敬 (jìng), 戴 (dài), 佩 (pèi). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to respect" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 敬 (jìng), 戴 (dài), 佩 (pèi) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jìng, dài, pèi — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 敬 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 敬 jìngto respect; to venerate; to salute; to offerUseful words: 尊敬, 敬爱
- 戴 dàito put on; to respect; to bear; to support; wear (glasses; hatUseful words: 爱戴, 戴上
- 佩 pèito respect; wear (belt; etc.); girdle ornamentsUseful words: 佩服, 钦佩
Common words for these 3 "to respect" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 敬 (jìng) — so "to respect" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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爱戴ài dàito love and respect; love and respect戴上dài shangto put on (hat etc)戴表dài biǎoto wear a watch; homophone for 代表 used to avoid Internet censorship in the PRC佩服pèi fúto admire钦佩qīn pèito admire; to look up to; to respect sb greatly敬佩jìng pèito esteem; to admire
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 3 ways to say "to respect".
戴 dài — to put on; to respect; to bear; to support; wear (glasses; hat
天冷了，出门要戴上帽子。Tiān lěng le, chū mén yào dài shàng mào zi.It is cold; wear a hat when you go out.
Common words: 爱戴 (ài dài)、戴上 (dài shang)、戴表 (dài biǎo)
佩 pèi — to respect; wear (belt; etc.); girdle ornaments
他勇敢的行为让人十分佩服。Tā yǒng gǎn de xíng wéi ràng rén shí fēn pèi fú.His brave behavior is greatly admired.
Common words: 佩服 (pèi fú)、钦佩 (qīn pèi)、敬佩 (jìng pèi)
All 3 characters
Open 敬、戴、佩 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.