敬佩

• Pinyin: jìng pèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 敬 = reverence; 佩 = 亻(person) + 凡 (ordinary) + 巾 (cloth) — wearing ornaments with honour; admiration

Meaning

To admire and respect greatly; to hold in high esteem.

Combines respect (敬) and admiration (佩). Used when someone has genuinely earned your esteem through conduct, ability, or character. More emotionally warm than 钦佩 and more genuine than 羡慕 (envy). Commonly used in formal spoken and written Chinese to express sincere regard.

Examples

1. 我对她在逆境中仍坚持梦想的精神深感敬佩。 I deeply admire her spirit of clinging to her dreams even in adversity.
2. 他的学识渊博令所有同行敬佩不已，被誉为业界泰斗。 His vast learning earned the unbounded admiration of all his peers, and he is hailed as a titan of the industry.
3. 令我敬佩的是，这位九十岁的老人每天坚持写日记，从未间断。 What I admire is that this ninety-year-old keeps a daily diary without ever missing a day.

Usage Guide

Context: praise, admiration, formal speech

Tone: sincere

Do Say

• 我十分敬佩他坚持不懈的精神。(I deeply admire his spirit of perseverance.)
• 她的奉献精神令全队人员敬佩。(Her dedication commanded the admiration of the entire team.)

Don't Say

• 我敬佩这道菜做得好。(敬佩 is reserved for people and their admirable qualities — not for objects or food)

Origin & History

敬 (to respect) + 佩 (to wear an ornament; to admire). The character 佩 originally depicted wearing a jade pendant as a mark of honour; it evolved to mean 'to admire and hold dear.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal