Japanese kanji 敬: respect and honorific language

The idea

敬 has 12 strokes. Its common compound reading is けい, as in 尊敬 and 敬語; the verb 敬う is read うやまう. Follow the linked stroke diagram.

Examples

• 私わたしは先生せんせいを尊敬そんけいしています。I respect my teacher.
• 彼女かのじょはみんなに尊敬そんけいされている人ひとです。She is a person respected by everyone.
• 授業じゅぎょうで敬語けいごを習ならいました。We learned honorific language in class.
• 彼かれは恩師おんしに敬意けいいを表あらわしました。He expressed his respect for his mentor.
• 他ほかの人ひとの意見いけんを敬うやまうことは大切たいせつです。It is important to respect other people’s opinions.
• 敬老けいろうの日ひに祖母そぼへ花はなを送おくりました。On Respect for the Aged Day, I sent my grandmother flowers.

Watch out

尊敬 is admiration or respect for someone; 敬語 is a system of respectful language, not the feeling itself. 敬う is a verb and includes the ending う.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 尊敬 in hiragana.

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   そんけい

   尊敬 is そんけい: it expresses respect or admiration for someone.

2. Write the reading of 敬う in hiragana.

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   うやまう

   敬う is うやまう; the final う is part of the verb.

3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿語（けいご）［敬／警］.

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   敬

   敬 completes 敬語, read けいご, the word for honorific language.

Use it today

Write 敬 using the stroke diagram. Cover the table, read 尊敬 and 敬う aloud, then make a sentence with one of them.