qián
adjective #67,517

Meanings

  1. 1 pious; sincere; reverent

Examples

Tā guì zài fóxiàng qián qiánchéng de qídǎo.
She knelt before the statue and prayed devoutly.
Tā shì yí gè qiánchéng de xìntú.
He is a devout believer.

Tips

usage
Almost always in 虔诚 (devout, pious) and 虔敬 (reverent). It describes sincere religious or heartfelt devotion, a stronger word than ordinary respect.

Components

radical
tiger pattern (radical)
Top tiger-stripe radical, the indexing component. The original sense pictured a tiger's powerful movement; from awe-inspiring strength the meaning shifted to the reverent awe of sincere devotion. Same tiger-top family as and .
phonetic
wén
writing; pattern
Lower is the old phonetic element, its early reading underlying qián. It contributes no meaning here; it sits below the tiger radical purely for the sound.

Stroke Order

qián