Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 尊重 | zūnzhòng |
| 尊敬 | zūnjìng |
In Mandarin, the term for respect is split between admiring a person and respecting an abstract concept. You can use 尊重 to express respect for principles, opinions, rights or facts. If you want to express a lack of respect or 'disrespect', you can add 不 before 尊重 to form 不尊重. Other related terms include 遵守, which means to respect or abide by an agreement or the rights of others.
Which one should you use?
The two main forms are used in different contexts. Use 尊敬 when expressing respect for a person, particularly an elder, a teacher or someone of high status. Use 尊重 when expressing respect for abstract concepts such as opinions, rights, facts or choices.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
zūnzhòng
When do people say it?
When addressing a teacher to show respect, it is common to use their surname followed by their title, such as 王老师 (Wáng lǎoshī) for Mr. Wang.
Did you know?
- The character 尊 in 尊重 and 尊敬 originally depicted a wine vessel used in ancient rituals to show respect to ancestors.
- In many Chinese contexts, showing respect is not just about words, but about using both hands when giving or receiving an object, such as a business card.
- In Chinese culture, respect is often expressed through 'giving face' (给面子, gěi miànzi), which involves protecting someone's reputation in public.
Examples in context
- 我尊敬湯姆。I respect Tom.This sentence shows how to use 尊敬 to express respect for a person.Tatoeba #6333802 by verdastelo9604, translation #2235733 by CK
- 我尊敬布朗先生。I respect Mr. Brown.This sentence demonstrates the use of 尊敬 for a person with a title.Tatoeba #13958102 by LeviHighway, translation #255519 by CN
- 這種行為是對演出的不尊重。This behavior shows a lack of respect for the performance.This sentence uses the term 尊重 to describe a lack of respect for a performance.Tatoeba #5903220 by xjjAstrus, translation #11998500 by weihaiping
- 尊敬的老板，我对您的领导能力非常敬重Respected boss, I have great respect for your leadership skills.
- 我很尊重你的意见I highly respect your opinion.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their favorite teacher.
- 浩然 Haoran你對這位老師有尊重嗎？Nǐ duì zhè wèi lǎoshī yǒu zūnzhòng ma？Do you have respect for this teacher?
- 欣怡 Xinyi我有，他對學生非常有耐心。Wǒ yǒu, tā duì xuéshēng fēicháng yǒu nàixīn.I do, he is very patient with students.
- 浩然 Haoran我也很尊重他的專業知識。Wǒ yě hěn zūnzhòng tā de zhuānyè zhīshì.I also respect his professional knowledge.
- 欣怡 Xinyi沒錯，他是值得尊重的人。Méi cuò, tā shì zhídé zūnzhòng de rén.That's right, he is a person worthy of respect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “respect” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
