供奉

• Pinyin: gòng fèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 供 = 亻+ 共 (to offer collectively); 奉 = 丰 + 廾 (two hands presenting something — to offer with both hands)

Meaning

To enshrine and worship; to offer and venerate. To place a deity, ancestor, or sacred object in a position of honour and make ritual offerings to it.

Primarily used in religious, ceremonial, and traditional cultural contexts. Refers to the practice of placing statues of deities, ancestor tablets, or sacred objects on a dedicated altar (供桌) and making offerings of incense, food, and flowers. Also used figuratively to describe someone who is treated with excessive reverence, sometimes ironically.

Examples

1. 这座庙宇中供奉着当地百姓世代崇奉的海神，香火十分旺盛。 This temple enshrines the sea goddess revered by local residents for generations, and it attracts a steady stream of worshippers.
2. 老人在家中设置祭坛，每逢节日便会摆上鲜花果品，虔诚地供奉先祖。 The elderly man set up an altar at home; on holidays he lays out fresh flowers and fruit and reverently makes offerings to his ancestors.
3. 有些子女将年迈的父母供奉在家中，却忽略了他们真正需要的情感陪伴。 Some adult children keep their elderly parents at home as if on an altar, yet overlook the emotional companionship they truly need.

Usage Guide

Context: religion, tradition, culture, family rituals

Tone: reverent

Do Say

• 寺庙中央供奉着一尊三米高的释迦牟尼佛像，庄严肃穆。(At the centre of the temple is enshrined a three-metre-tall statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, solemn and magnificent.)
• 每逢清明，家人都会回乡祭祖，在祠堂中供奉先人的牌位。(Every Qingming Festival, the family returns to their hometown to worship their ancestors, enshrining their spirit tablets in the ancestral hall.)

Don't Say

• 将'供奉'用于普通的摆放或陈列 — 供奉 implies ritual reverence and offerings; for simply displaying an object use 摆放 or 陈列

Origin & History

供 (gòng, to offer; to present as an offering) + 奉 (to revere; to present respectfully). Together: to present offerings in reverence.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal