敬礼

• Pinyin: jìng lǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 敬 = reverence; 礼 = 示 (spirit/show) + 豊 (abundant ritual vessel) — ritual ceremony

Meaning

To salute; to pay a formal salute; to bow in respect.

A formal gesture of respect — specifically the military salute in modern usage, but also used for ceremonial bows, end-of-letter formal closings (此致敬礼), and formal expressions of respect in public discourse. 此致敬礼 is a standard sign-off in formal Chinese letters, equivalent to 'Yours respectfully.'

Examples

1. 士兵向上级立正敬礼，动作标准，精神抖擞。 The soldier stood at attention and saluted his superior, his form impeccable and his bearing energetic.
2. 颁奖典礼结束后，所有运动员整齐列队向国旗敬礼。 After the awards ceremony, all athletes lined up neatly to salute the national flag.
3. 这封正式公函以此致敬礼结尾，措辞庄重得体。 This formal official letter ended with a respectful closing, and the wording was appropriately solemn and dignified.

Usage Guide

Context: military, ceremony, correspondence, formal address

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 全体人员起立，向英雄烈士默哀并敬礼。(All personnel rise to observe a moment of silence and salute the fallen heroes.)
• 此致敬礼，盼早日回复。(Yours respectfully — I look forward to an early reply.)

Don't Say

• 我给服务员敬礼了一下。(敬礼 is a formal, ceremonial gesture — using it for service staff in casual settings sounds comedic or sarcastic)

Origin & History

敬 (respect) + 礼 (ritual, ceremony, salute). An ancient compound rooted in Confucian li (禮) — ritual propriety. The modern military salute sense developed in the Republican period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal