尊重 (zūnzhòng)

尊重 means to respect or show esteem toward someone or something, and is used both as a verb and a noun in everyday Chinese.

Meanings

[verb] to respect; to show respect for
[noun] respect; esteem

Example Sentences

我们应该尊重老人。 Wǒmen yīnggāi zūnzhòng lǎorén. We should respect the elderly.

尊重别人的意见很重要。 Zūnzhòng biérén de yìjiàn hěn zhòngyào. Respecting others' opinions is very important.

他赢得了大家的尊重。 Tā yíngdéle dàjiā de zūnzhòng. He earned everyone's respect.

请尊重我的决定。 Qǐng zūnzhòng wǒ de juédìng. Please respect my decision.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
尊重他人	to respect others
赢得尊重	to earn respect
互相尊重	to respect each other
尊重意见	to respect opinions

Usage Notes

尊重 is a formal yet everyday word. As a verb it takes a direct object (尊重+person/thing). As a noun it often appears in structures like 赢得尊重 (earn respect) or 表示尊重 (show respect). It carries a stronger sense of deliberate esteem than simply being polite.

Memory Hook

Picture a ZEN MONK bowing deeply (ZŪN) with great WEIGHT (ZHÒNG) -- that heavy bow is pure respect.