赞许

• Pinyin: zàn xǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 赞 = to commend/support; 许 = 言 + 午 (to affirm/permit)

Meaning

To approve of; to praise; to commend with admiration. To express positive assessment or approval of someone's conduct, quality, or achievement.

Warmer and more personal than 赞同, implying genuine admiration rather than formal endorsement. Often used between seniors and juniors, teachers and students, or in literary contexts. 投以赞许的目光 (to cast an approving glance) is a common collocate.

Examples

1. 老教授对这位年轻学者扎实的研究功底给予了高度赞许，并鼓励他坚持深耕这一领域。 The senior professor spoke very highly of the young scholar’s solid research foundation and encouraged him to keep working deeply in this field.
2. 母亲脸上流露出赞许的神情，因为女儿在困难面前选择了诚实而非逃避。 A look of approval crossed the mother’s face because her daughter chose honesty instead of avoidance when faced with difficulty.
3. 他的方案获得了评审委员会的一致赞许，被认为兼具创新性与实用价值。 His proposal won unanimous praise from the review committee and was seen as both innovative and practical.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, mentorship, literary, professional evaluation

Tone: warm/positive

Do Say

• 导师对她在论文答辩中的表现给予了真诚的赞许，认为其逻辑严密、论据充分。(The supervisor gave sincere praise for her performance at the dissertation defence, commending her rigorous logic and thorough evidence.)
• 这名员工勇于承担责任的精神赢得了同事和管理层的广泛赞许。(This employee's spirit of taking responsibility won widespread commendation from both colleagues and management.)

Don't Say

• 赞许地骂他 — 赞许 is inherently positive; it cannot accompany criticism or scolding; use 批评 or 指责 for reproach

Origin & History

赞 (to commend) + 许 (to permit/affirm)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal