忠诚

• Pinyin: zhōng chéng
• Hanzi breakdown: 忠 = 中 + 心 (centre + heart — wholehearted devotion); 诚 = 讠+ 成 (speech + accomplish — sincere)

Meaning

Loyal; faithful; loyalty. Devoted and true to a person, cause, or duty.

Used for personal relationships (对朋友忠诚), organisations (对公司忠诚), and ideals (对事业忠诚). 忠诚度 (loyalty level) is common in business. Highly valued in traditional Chinese culture alongside 孝 (filial piety).

Examples

1. 他对公司忠诚了二十年，从基层员工做到了副总裁。 He has been loyal to the company for twenty years, rising from an entry-level employee to vice president.
2. 军人的首要品质是对国家的绝对忠诚。 A soldier’s foremost quality is absolute loyalty to the country.
3. 客户忠诚度是衡量品牌价值的重要指标。 Customer loyalty is an important indicator of brand value.

Usage Guide

Context: relationships, workplace, values

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 忠诚是任何合作关系的基石。(Loyalty is the foundation of any cooperative relationship.)
• 这只狗对主人非常忠诚，寸步不离地守护着他。(This dog is extremely loyal to its owner, guarding him without leaving his side.)

Don't Say

• 你要忠诚我 — grammatically awkward; use 你要对我忠诚 with the preposition 对

Origin & History

忠 (loyal/devoted) + 诚 (sincere/honest)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal