尊敬

zūnjìng

verb HSK 5 #2,185

Meanings

Double respect — both characters reinforce the meaning of deep reverence.

学生们都很尊敬这位老师。

Xuéshēng men dōu hěn zūnjìng zhèwèi lǎoshī.

The students all greatly respect this teacher.

尊敬的各位来宾，欢迎大家！

Zūnjìng de gèwèi láibīn, huānyíng dàjiā!

Dear distinguished guests, welcome everyone!

我们应该尊敬长辈。

Wǒmen yīnggāi zūnjìng zhǎngbèi.

We should respect our elders.

usage

尊敬的 is the standard formal salutation in letters and speeches, like 'Dear' or 'Respected' in English.

usage

尊敬 emphasizes reverence and is more formal than 尊重 (which emphasizes treating someone/something with dignity).

尊 zūn

敬 jìng