恭 (gōng) · respectful, reverent, deferential

Meanings

1 respectful
2 reverent
3 deferential

Characters

恭

gōng

respectful; reverent

Examples

HSK 4

恭祝您新年快乐！

Gōng zhù nín xīnnián kuàilè!

I respectfully wish you a happy New Year!

HSK 7-9

他态度恭敬，令人印象深刻。

Tā tàidù gōngjìng, lìngrén yìnxiàng shēnkè.

His respectful attitude made a deep impression.

Tips

register

恭 is a classical/formal character rarely used alone in modern speech. It appears in set phrases: 恭喜 (congratulations), 恭敬 (respectful), 恭候 (to await respectfully), 恭维 (to flatter).

Components

radical

⺗ xīn

heart (bottom radical form of 心)

Bottom heart radical in its 4-stroke base-position form - the indexing radical. Marks 恭 as an inner state: respect is something felt in the heart, not merely performed with the hands. Same form appears in 慕 (admire), 慈 (kind), 忝 (humble) - all heart-felt attitudes drawn from below rather than the left.

phonetic

共 gòng

together; share

Top 共 supplies the sound - gòng shifted slightly to gōng. The 'together' meaning is also apt: 恭 is the social posture of joining one's hands in respect before another. Same phonetic appears in 供 (offer) and 拱 (cup hands).