忠孝

zhōngxiào

noun #64,188

Meanings

1 loyalty and filial piety
2 loyalty to ruler and devotion to parents

Characters

Examples

古人讲究忠孝两全。

Gǔrén jiǎngjiū zhōngxiào liǎngquán.

The ancients valued fulfilling both loyalty and filial piety.

他把忠孝看得比生命还重要。

Tā bǎ zhōngxiào kàn de bǐ shēngmìng hái zhòngyào.

He considered loyalty and filial piety more important than life itself.

这个故事讲的是忠孝的道理。

Zhège gùshi jiǎng de shì zhōngxiào de dàolǐ.

This story teaches the principle of loyalty and filial piety.

Tips

culture

Core Confucian virtue pair: 忠 (loyalty to ruler/state) outward, 孝 (devotion to parents) inward. The classical dilemma 忠孝难两全 ("hard to fulfill both") drives countless stories of officials torn between serving the throne and caring for aging parents.

Stroke Order

忠 zhōng

孝 xiào