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敬而远之

敬而遠之
jìngéryuǎnzhī
idiom HSK 7 #33,407

Meanings

  1. 1 to show respect from a distance
  2. 2 to keep at a respectful distance

Examples

大家对他敬而远之。
Dàjiā duì tā jìng ér yuǎn zhī.
Everyone keeps a respectful distance from him.
她对那个话题敬而远之。
Tā duì nàge huàtí jìng ér yuǎn zhī.
She steers clear of that topic.

Tips

usage
敬而远之 implies outward respect but deliberate avoidance. It often describes people or things one fears or dislikes but treats politely.
history
From the Analerta of Confucius (论语): 务民之义，敬鬼神而远之 — 'Serve the people with righteousness, and respect spirits but keep them at a distance.'

Stroke Order

敬 jìng
而 ér
远 yuǎn
之 zhī