孝敬

• Pinyin: xiào jìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 孝 = 老 + 子 (old + child — child supporting an elder); 敬 = 苟 + 攴 (upright + strike — to treat with reverence)

Meaning

To show filial respect; to give gifts or money to parents or elders as a token of respect and gratitude; to treat elders with devotion.

Rooted in Confucian filial piety (孝道), 孝敬 combines respect (敬) with filial duty (孝). It commonly refers to giving one's parents money, presents, or attentive care. Also used informally to mean offering something to a superior or guest as a gesture of deference.

Examples

1. 每逢春节，他都会回家探望父母，带上精心挑选的礼品孝敬二老。 Every Spring Festival, he goes home to visit his parents and brings carefully chosen gifts to show his respect and gratitude.
2. 她每月从工资中拿出一部分孝敬父母，贴补家用，尽到了子女的责任。 Every month, she sets aside part of her salary for her parents to help with household expenses, fulfilling her responsibilities as a child.
3. 晚辈给长辈夹菜、倒茶，也是孝敬的一种体现，蕴含着中华传统的礼仪之道。 Younger family members serving food and pouring tea for elders is also a way of showing respect and gratitude, reflecting traditional Chinese etiquette.

Usage Guide

Context: family, Confucianism, gift-giving, social etiquette

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 子女工作稳定后，按时孝敬父母既是情感的表达，也是中华文化中不可或缺的家庭责任。(Once children are settled in stable employment, regularly honouring their parents with gifts and care is both an emotional expression and an indispensable family duty in Chinese culture.)
• 他特意购买了父亲最喜欢的茶叶和补品，作为生日礼物孝敬父亲，令老人十分欣慰。(He specially purchased his father's favourite tea and health supplements as a birthday gift to honour him — a gesture that delighted the elderly man greatly.)

Don't Say

• 我孝敬了我的老板一份礼 — while 孝敬 can informally mean giving a gift to a superior, it is primarily a filial term; using it for workplace superiors may sound sycophantic or odd in formal contexts; use 赠送 or 送礼 instead

Origin & History

孝 (filial piety) + 敬 (respect/reverence) — to honour and show reverence to one's elders

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal