尊敬 zūnjìng to respect
to respect; to revere; to esteem; honorable; distinguished (used on formal occasions before a term of address)
How to remember 尊敬: 尊 honor + 敬 to respect = to respect.
Characters
How it is used
- To respect/revere, and "respected": 尊敬老师 (zūnjìng lǎoshī) respect teachers; 尊敬的各位来宾 respected guests.
- The 尊敬的… form opens formal letters and speeches, like "Dear/Esteemed…".
- Contrast 尊重 (zūnzhòng, respect someone's wishes/rights) - 尊敬 is looking up to a person with reverence.
Example sentences
- 她非常尊敬她的老师。 Tā fēicháng zūnjìng tā de lǎoshī.She respects her teacher a lot.
- 年轻人应该尊敬老人。 Niánqīngrén yīnggāi zūnjìng lǎorén.The young should respect the old.
- 我的父母教育我应该尊敬老人。 Wǒ de fùmǔ jiàoyù wǒ yīnggāi zūnjìng lǎorén.My parents taught me to respect my elders.