verb HSK 5
jìng pèi
to admire · to respect and admire · to hold in high esteem

Meaning

敬佩 expresses deep respect and admiration for someone's character, abilities, or achievements. It combines the sense of showing respect (敬) with sincere admiration (佩), conveying a feeling stronger than simple liking. This word is used when you genuinely look up to someone for their qualities or accomplishments.

Usage

敬佩 is more formal than casual expressions like 欣赏 (to appreciate). It's commonly used to describe admiration for people's moral character, courage, dedication, or professional achievements. The pattern '敬佩某人' (to admire someone) or '对某人很敬佩' (to greatly admire someone) is very common. It carries a tone of sincerity and is appropriate in both written and spoken formal contexts.

Examples

  1. 01
    我很敬佩她面对困难时的勇气和毅力。
    hěn jìng pèi miàn duì kùn nán shí de yǒng .
    I deeply admire her courage and perseverance in the face of difficulties.
  2. 02
    他的专业精神令人敬佩
    de zhuān jīng shén lìng rén jìng pèi.
    His professional dedication is truly admirable.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 十分敬佩
    shí fēn jìng pèi
    to greatly admire
  • 令人敬佩
    lìng rén jìng pèi
    admirable, worthy of admiration
  • 对...表示敬佩
    duì ... biǎo shì jìng pèi
    to express admiration for...
  • 深感敬佩
    shēn gǎn jìng pèi
    to feel deep admiration

Antonyms

Origin

佩 originally meant to wear something at the waist, like a jade pendant or sword, which evolved metaphorically to mean carrying admiration in one's heart. Combined with 敬 (respect), the compound emphasizes respectful admiration.

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