敬

See also: 茍

敬 U+656C, 敬 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-656C ← 敫 [U+656B] CJK Unified Ideographs 敭 → [U+656D]

敬 U+2F8C9, 敬 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F8C9 ← 敏 [U+2F8C8] CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement 𣀊 → [U+2F8CA]

Translingual

Han character

敬 (Kangxi radical 66, 攴+9 in traditional Chinese and Korean, 攴+8 in mainland China and Japanese, 13 strokes in traditional Chinese and Korean, 12 strokes in mainland China and Japanese, cangjie input 廿口人大 (TROK), four-corner 4864₀, composition ⿰苟攵(GJKV) or ⿰茍攵(HT))

Derived characters

• 儆, 𠧂, 𫱻, 𢢩, 擏, 𤀂, 曔, 㯳, 璥, 䜘, 𩼃, 𫄿, 𭋆, 𭘷, 㢣, 𢐧, 憼, 擎, 檠, 𭶍, 蟼, 警, 驚

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 473, character 35
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13285
• Dae Jaweon: page 826, character 17
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1466, character 2
• Unihan data for U+656C
• Unihan data for U+2F8C9

Chinese

trad.		敬
simp. #		敬

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 敬
Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

	Old Chinese
蟼	*kraː, *kreŋ, *kreŋʔ
憼	*kaŋʔ, *kreŋʔ
驚	*kreŋ
警	*kreŋʔ
儆	*kreŋʔ, *ɡreŋs
璥	*keŋʔ
檠	*kreŋʔ, *ɡreŋ, *ɡreŋs
敬	*kreŋs
擎	*ɡreŋ
曔	*ɡreŋs

Characters in the same phonetic series (敬) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

Possibly ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 茍 (“kneeling person or sitting dog”) + 攴 (“hand holding a stick, authority”).

Etymology

Cognate with 驚 (OC *kreŋ, “to be afraid; to scare”) (Schuessler, 2007). See there for more.

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	敬
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	庚 (111)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	居慶切
Baxter	kjaengH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kˠiæŋH/
Pan Wuyun	/kᵚiaŋH/
Shao Rongfen	/kiaŋH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kiajŋH/
Li Rong	/kiɐŋH/
Wang Li	/kĭɐŋH/
Bernard Karlgren	/ki̯ɐŋH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jìng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ging3

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	敬
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jìng
Middle Chinese	‹ kjængH ›
Old Chinese	/*kreŋ(ʔ)-s/
English	respectful
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	敬
Reading #	1/1
No.	6885
Phonetic component	敬
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	敬
Old Chinese	/*kreŋs/

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jìng (jing⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ging³
• Gan (Wiktionary): jin⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kin
• Northern Min (KCR): ge̿ng
• Eastern Min (BUC): géng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ging⁴
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kèng

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gêng³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jìng
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jìng
    • Wade–Giles: ching⁴
    • Yale: jìng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jinq
    • Palladius: цзин (czin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ging³
    • Yale: ging
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ging³
    • Guangdong Romanization: ging³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɪŋ³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: jin⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kin
    • Hakka Romanization System: gin
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gin⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /kin⁵⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ge̿ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /keiŋ³³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: géng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɛiŋ²¹³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ging⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiŋ⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kèng
    • Tâi-lô: kìng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kexng
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kiɪŋ²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kiɪŋ⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kiɪŋ²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kiɪŋ¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kiɪŋ²¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gêng³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kèng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /keŋ²¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: kjaengH

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*kreŋ(ʔ)-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kreŋs/

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some! Particularly: “Taishanese Yue”

Definitions

敬

1. to respect; to honor
2. to present; to offer (alcohol, food, cigarettes, tea, etc.)
3. (literary, or in compounds) to concentrate completely on; to devote oneself to; to focus all of one's attention on
4. (literary, or in compounds) respectful; deferential (Can we add an example for this sense?)
5. a surname

Synonyms

• (to respect):

edit

• 寅畏 (yínwèi) (literary)
• 尊存 (Hokkien)
• 尊崇 (zūnchóng)
• 尊敬 (zūnjìng)
• 尊重 (zūnzhòng)
• 尚
• 崇尚 (chóngshàng)
• 崇拜 (chóngbài)
• 崇敬 (chóngjìng)
• 推崇 (tuīchóng)
• 敦尚 (dūnshàng) (literary)
• 敬愛／敬爱 (jìng'ài)
• 敬服 (jìngfú)
• 敬畏 (jìngwèi)
• 敬重 (jìngzhòng)
• 畏服 (wèifú) (literary)
• 誠忠／诚忠 (chéngzhōng) (literary)

 

• (to concentrate completely on):

edit

• 上心 (shàngxīn)
• 專心／专心 (zhuānxīn)
• 專注 (zhuānzhù)
• 沉潛／沉潜 (chénqián)
• 潛心／潜心 (qiánxīn)
• 用心 (yòngxīn)
• 走心 (zǒuxīn)

 

• (respectful):

edit

• 恭敬 (gōngjìng)
• 恭順／恭顺 (gōngshùn)
• 敬虔 (jìngqián)
• 莊嚴／庄严 (zhuāngyán)
• 莊敬／庄敬 (zhuāngjìng) (literary)
• 虔恪 (qiánkè) (literary)
• 虔敬 (qiánjìng)
• 虔誠／虔诚 (qiánchéng)

 

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “to respect”): 鄙 (bǐ)

Compounds

• 不敬 (bùjìng)
• 主敬存誠／主敬存诚
• 最敬禮／最敬礼 (zuìjìnglǐ)
• 可敬 (kějìng)
• 回敬 (huíjìng)
• 大不敬 (dàbùjìng)
• 失敬 (shījìng)
• 奠敬
• 奩敬／奁敬
• 孝敬 (xiàojìng)
• 尊敬 (zūnjìng)
• 屈尊敬賢／屈尊敬贤
• 崇敬 (chóngjìng)
• 廝抬廝敬／厮抬厮敬
• 廝敬廝愛／厮敬厮爱
• 彌敬／弥敬
• 忒敬思
• 忠敬
• 恭恭敬敬 (gōnggōngjìngjìng)
• 恭敬 (gōngjìng)
• 慎始敬終／慎始敬终 (shènshǐjìngzhōng)
• 憐貧敬老／怜贫敬老
• 敬上
• 敬上愛下／敬上爱下
• 敬之
• 敬事
• 敬事不暇
• 敬事房
• 敬亭山
• 敬仰 (jìngyǎng)
• 敬佩 (jìngpèi)
• 敬信 (Jìngxìn, “Jingxin”)
• 敬同
• 敬天愛民／敬天爱民
• 敬奉 (jìngfèng)
• 敬姜猶績／敬姜犹绩
• 敬小慎微
• 敬心
• 敬思
• 敬悉
• 敬意 (jìngyì)
• 敬愛／敬爱 (jìng'ài)
• 敬慎
• 敬慕 (jìngmù)
• 敬懇者／敬恳者
• 敬懼／敬惧
• 敬授人時／敬授人时
• 敬啟者／敬启者 (jìngqǐzhě)
• 敬時愛日／敬时爱日
• 敬服 (jìngfú)
• 敬業／敬业 (jìngyè)
• 敬業樂群／敬业乐群
• 敬業精神／敬业精神
• 敬畏 (jìngwèi)
• 敬祝 (jìngzhù)
• 敬神
• 敬禮／敬礼 (jìnglǐ)
• 敬稟者／敬禀者
• 敬稱／敬称 (jìngchēng)
• 敬老尊賢／敬老尊贤
• 敬老恤貧／敬老恤贫
• 敬老慈幼
• 敬老憐貧／敬老怜贫
• 敬老節／敬老节
• 敬老院 (jìnglǎoyuàn)
• 敬而遠之／敬而远之 (jìng'éryuǎnzhī)
• 敬肅者／敬肃者
• 敬若神明
• 敬虔主義／敬虔主义 (jìngqiánzhǔyì)
• 敬詞／敬词 (jìngcí)
• 敬請／敬请 (jìngqǐng)
• 敬諾／敬诺
• 敬謝／敬谢
• 敬謝不敏／敬谢不敏
• 敬謹／敬谨
• 敬賢／敬贤 (jìngxián)
• 敬賢禮士／敬贤礼士 (jìngxiánlǐshì)
• 敬身
• 敬辭／敬辞 (jìngcí)
• 敬酒 (jìngjiǔ)
• 敬重 (jìngzhòng)
• 敬陪末坐
• 敬陪末座
• 敬頌／敬颂
• 梁敬帝
• 楮敬
• 欽敬／钦敬 (qīnjìng)
• 潔敬／洁敬
• 炭敬
• 無以為敬／无以为敬
• 用代楮敬
• 畢恭畢敬／毕恭毕敬 (bìgōngbìjìng)
• 相敬如賓／相敬如宾
• 程敬
• 節敬／节敬
• 肅然起敬／肃然起敬 (sùránqǐjìng)
• 脩敬
• 至敬無文／至敬无文
• 致敬 (zhìjìng)
• 茶敬
• 莊敬／庄敬 (zhuāngjìng)
• 莊敬自強／庄敬自强
• 菲敬
• 虔敬 (qiánjìng)
• 誠心敬意／诚心敬意
• 誠敬／诚敬
• 贄敬／贽敬
• 起敬 (qǐjìng)
• 輕財敬士／轻财敬士

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (敬):

• → Vietnamese: kính (敬)

Others:

• → Zhuang: gingq

References

• “敬”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• “Entry #9524”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.

Japanese

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 敬

敬

(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: きょう (kyō)^{←きやう (kyau, historical)}
• Kan-on: けい (kei, Jōyō)
• Kun: うやまう (uyamau, 敬う, Jōyō)
• Nanori: け (ke)、たか (taka)、たかし (takashi)、たけ (take)、とし (toshi)、のり (nori)、ひろ (hiro)、ゆき (yuki)、よし (yoshi)

Compounds

Compounds

• 敬(けい)愛(あい) (keiai): respect and affection
• 敬(けい)畏(い) (keī): reverence, holding in awe, fear
• 敬(けい)意(い) (keī): respect
• 敬(けい)遠(えん) (keien): keeping at a distance
• 敬(けい)具(ぐ) (keigu): a respectful closing statement
• 敬(けい)虔(けん) (keiken): pious
• 敬(けい)語(ご) (keigo): honorifics
• 敬(けい)神(しん) (keishin): piety
• 敬(けい)称(しょう) (keishō): title of honor
• 敬(けい)体(たい) (keitai): distal style
• 敬(けい)白(はく) (keihaku): Yours Sincerely
• 敬(けい)服(ふく) (keifuku): admiration
• 敬(けい)慕(ぼ) (keibo): love and respect
• 敬(けい)礼(れい) (keirei): salute, bow
• 敬(けい)老(ろう) (keirō): respect for elders
• 敬(けい)譲(じょう)語(ご) (keijōgo): polite speech
• 敬(けい)天(てん)愛(あい)人(じん) (keiten aijin): "Revere heaven, love people."
• 失(しっ)敬(けい) (shikkei): rude
• 尊(そん)敬(けい) (sonkei): respect

Archaic

• 敬(けい)啓(けい) (keikei): salutation at end of formal letter
• 敬(けい)呈(てい) (keitei): salutation in a formal letter

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
敬
けい Grade: 6
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 敬 (kjæng^H, “respectful”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ke̞ː]

Affix

敬(けい) • (kei) 

1. respect, honor, reverence

Usage notes

Used in kanji compounds. Not used in isolation except as a suru verb.^[1][2] See 敬する.

Derived terms

• 敬(けい)する (kei suru): to respect, to esteem

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
敬
うやまい Grade: 6
kun'yomi

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 敬う (uyamau, “to respect, to esteem”).^[1][2]

Alternative forms

• 敬(うやま)い (uyamai)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ja̠ma̠i]

Noun

敬(うやまい) • (uyamai) 

1. respect, esteem

Usage notes

More commonly spelled as 敬い with the okurigana.

Etymology 3

Used as ateji in various names.

Proper noun

敬(たかし) • (Takashi) 

1. a male given name

References

1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja

敬 (eumhun 공경할 경 (gonggyeonghal gyeong))

1. hanja form^? of 경 (“respect, honor”)
2. hanja form^? of 경 (“respectfully”)

Vietnamese

Han character

敬: Hán Việt readings: kính (居(cư)慶(khánh)切(thiết))^[1][2][3][4]
敬: Nôm readings: kính^[1][2][4][5], kỉnh^[2], kinh^[6]

1. chữ Hán form of kính (“to respect”).

Compounds

• 恭敬 (cung kính)
• 敬重 (kính trọng)

 

References

1. Nguyễn (2014).
2. Nguyễn et al. (2009).
3. Trần (2004).
4. Bonet (1899).
5. Génibrel (1898).
6. Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).