榮耀 / 荣耀
róngyào
The English word 'glory' can be translated into Chinese using several terms such as 榮耀 / 荣耀 (róngyào), 光榮 / 光荣 or 榮譽 / 荣誉.
Meaning: honour, admiration, or distinction (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 榮耀 / 荣耀 | róngyào |
| 光榮 / 光荣 | guāngróng |
| 榮譽 / 荣誉 | róngyù |
These terms are used to express honor, admiration or distinction. 榮耀 / 荣耀 is often used to describe a grand, abstract or highly emotional sense of glory, such as the glory of a victory or the glory of God. 光榮 / 光荣 emphasizes honor, dignity and recognition.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 光榮 / 光荣 is composed of 光 meaning light or brightness and 榮 meaning glory or honor, literally implying a 'bright glory'.
Which one should you use?
While all three terms relate to distinction, they differ in nuance. 榮耀 / 荣耀 refers to a grand or abstract sense of glory. In contrast, 榮譽 / 荣誉 is used when referring to specific honors, awards or titles. 光榮 / 光荣 is a formal way to express glory by emphasizing honor and dignity.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, the term 光輝 is commonly used to express glory.
How do you pronounce it?
róngyào
Did you know?
- While 榮耀 is used for the 'glory of God' in Chinese Christian translations, the term is now widely recognized by non-religious people because of its use in the Chinese localization of the game 'Honor of Kings'.
- The character 榮 meaning 'glory' is originally a pictograph of a flowering tree. This suggests that in ancient Chinese thought, glory was visualized as the lush blooming of a plant.
- In Chinese, the concept of 'glory' is often balanced against the word 辱 meaning 'shame'. These two are viewed as two sides of the same coin, creating a binary of 榮辱 that governs social behavior.
Examples in context
- 他在比赛中赢得了荣耀。He won the glory in the competition.
- 为国家做出贡献是一种光荣的事情。Contributing to the country is a glorious thing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “glory” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
