Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== pèifú: 佩服 - To Admire, To Have Respect For ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** 佩服 pèifú, admire in Chinese, respect in Chinese, how to say I admire you in Chinese, 佩服 vs 尊敬, 佩服 meaning, Chinese word for admiration, HSK 4 vocabulary, fú le nǐ. * **Summary:** Learn how to use **佩服 (pèifú)**, a fundamental Chinese verb for expressing sincere admiration for someone's skill, ability, or character. This page breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and practical usage, comparing it with similar words like **尊敬 (zūnjìng)**. Discover how **佩服 (pèifú)** is more than just "respect"; it's about being genuinely impressed and won over by someone's talent or actions. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** pèifú * **Part of Speech:** Verb * **HSK Level:** HSK 4 * **Concise Definition:** To admire someone for their abilities, achievements, moral character, or courage. * **In a Nutshell:** **佩服 (pèifú)** is the feeling of being genuinely impressed by someone. It's not passive respect from a distance; it's an active acknowledgment of another person's excellence in a specific area. Think of the feeling you get when a friend masters a difficult song on the guitar, or a colleague handles a crisis with incredible calm. That feeling of "Wow, that's amazing, you've totally convinced me of your skill" is the core of **佩服**. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **佩 (pèi):** This character originally depicted an ornamental pendant worn on a belt. It has come to mean "to wear" or "to carry." In this context, it suggests "carrying" or "holding" a feeling of respect. * **服 (fú):** This character has several meanings, including "clothes," "to serve," and crucially, "to submit" or "to be convinced." * **Together, 佩服 (pèifú)** literally means "to wear the feeling of being convinced." This beautifully illustrates the meaning: you are so impressed by someone's ability that you willingly "submit" to their superiority in that domain and openly "wear" your admiration for them. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== In Chinese culture, expressing **佩服 (pèifú)** is a common and important social lubricant. It's a way of giving someone "face" ([[面子|miànzi]]) by sincerely acknowledging their strengths. It builds goodwill and shows humility. A useful comparison for Western learners is to contrast **佩服 (pèifú)** with the English concept of "respect." * **Respect (as in 尊敬 zūnjìng)** is often about status, age, or position. You respect your elders, your boss, or a national leader. It's a deference based on hierarchy or moral authority. * **Admiration (佩服 pèifú)** is about merit and ability. It transcends hierarchy. A CEO can **佩服 (pèifú)** a junior intern's brilliant idea. You can **佩服 (pèifú)** your friend who is younger than you for their courage to travel the world alone. Expressing **佩服** is not seen as weakness; rather, it is a sign of confidence and generosity of spirit. It reinforces positive relationships by highlighting mutual appreciation for individual talents. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== **佩服 (pèifú)** is an everyday word used in a variety of contexts, from casual conversation to formal business meetings. * **In Conversation:** It's frequently used as a direct compliment. If a friend tells you they run 10 kilometers every morning, a natural response is "**我真佩服你！**" (Wǒ zhēn pèifú nǐ! - I really admire you!). The phrase "**佩服，佩服！**" (Pèifú, pèifú!) is a common, slightly informal exclamation of admiration. * **In Business:** You can express **佩服** for a colleague's sharp analysis, a competitor's successful strategy, or a leader's decisive action. This is considered a polite and sincere way to offer praise that builds rapport. * **On Social Media:** In comment sections on platforms like Weibo or Douyin, you'll often see "佩服" used to react to displays of skill, intelligence, or hard work. The connotation is almost always positive and sincere. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 他每天早上5点起床跑步，我真的很**佩服**他。 * Pinyin: Tā měitiān zǎoshang wǔ diǎn qǐchuáng pǎobù, wǒ zhēn de hěn **pèifú** tā. * English: He gets up at 5 AM every morning to run; I really admire him. * Analysis: A classic example of admiring someone for their discipline and perseverance. * **Example 2:** * 你能把中文学得这么好，我**佩服**你。 * Pinyin: Nǐ néng bǎ Zhōngwén xué de zhème hǎo, wǒ **pèifú** nǐ. * English: I admire you for being able to learn Chinese so well. * Analysis: A sentence every Chinese learner would love to hear! It directly praises a specific, hard-earned skill. * **Example 3:** * 面对那么大的压力，她还能保持冷静，真让人**佩服**。 * Pinyin: Miànduì nàme dà de yālì, tā hái néng bǎochí lěngjìng, zhēn ràng rén **pèifú**. * English: The way she can stay calm in the face of so much pressure is truly admirable. * Analysis: Here, `让人佩服` (ràng rén pèifú) means "makes people admire" or "is admirable." It's used to admire a character trait (calmness). * **Example 4:** * **佩服，佩服**！这么难的问题你都解决了。 * Pinyin: **Pèifú, pèifú**! Zhème nán de wèntí nǐ dōu jiějué le. * English: I'm impressed, I'm impressed! You solved such a difficult problem. * Analysis: This shows the common conversational use of repeating **佩服** as an exclamation. It's enthusiastic and friendly. * **Example 5:** * 虽然他是我们的竞争对手，但我很**佩服**他们的营销策略。 * Pinyin: Suīrán tā shì wǒmen de jìngzhēng duìshǒu, dàn wǒ hěn **pèifú** tāmen de yíngxiāo cèlüè. * English: Even though he is our competitor, I really admire their marketing strategy. * Analysis: Demonstrates that **佩服** is about acknowledging merit, even in a rival. * **Example 6:** * 我最**佩服**的，是他的勇气。 * Pinyin: Wǒ zuì **pèifú** de, shì tā de yǒngqì. * English: What I admire most is his courage. * Analysis: The structure `我最...的，是...` (Wǒ zuì... de, shì...) is used to emphasize a specific point. Here, it highlights courage as the primary object of admiration. * **Example 7:** * 他的记忆力太好了，我**佩服**得五体投地。 * Pinyin: Tā de jìyìlì tài hǎo le, wǒ **pèifú** de wǔ tǐ tóu dì. * English: His memory is so good, I admire him to the point of utter prostration. * Analysis: This sentence uses the chengyu (idiom) [[五体投地]] (wǔ tǐ tóu dì) to describe the highest degree of admiration. It's a very strong and vivid expression. * **Example 8:** * 你一个人带三个孩子，我打心底里**佩服**你。 * Pinyin: Nǐ yí ge rén dài sān ge háizi, wǒ dǎ xīndǐ lǐ **pèifú** nǐ. * English: You're raising three kids by yourself; I admire you from the bottom of my heart. * Analysis: The phrase `打心底里` (dǎ xīndǐ lǐ) means "from the bottom of one's heart," emphasizing the sincerity of the admiration. * **Example 9:** * 你说我能不**佩服**他吗？他用一年时间就创立了自己的公司。 * Pinyin: Nǐ shuō wǒ néng bù **pèifú** tā ma? Tā yòng yī nián shíjiān jiù chuànglìle zìjǐ de gōngsī. * English: How could I not admire him? He founded his own company in just one year. * Analysis: This uses a rhetorical question `能不...吗?` (néng bù... ma?) to make a strong, affirmative statement. It implies that admiring him is the only logical reaction. * **Example 10:** * A: 我刚跑完马拉松！ (Wǒ gāng pǎo wán mǎlāsōng!) - I just finished the marathon! * B: 太厉害了！**佩服**！ (Tài lìhai le! **Pèifú**!) - That's incredible! I'm so impressed! * Analysis: A very common, short, and effective way to use **佩服** as a single-word response to express strong admiration for an achievement. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **`佩服` (pèifú) vs. `尊敬` (zūnjìng):** This is the most critical distinction. * **`佩服` (pèifú):** For skill, talent, action, ability. Can be directed at anyone, including peers and juniors. (e.g., "I admire your programming skills.") * **`尊敬` (zūnjìng):** For status, age, moral character, position. Mostly directed at elders or superiors. (e.g., "We must respect our teachers.") * **Mistake:** Saying `我尊敬你的画画技术` (I respect your drawing technique). This sounds overly formal and strange. You should say `我佩服你的画画技术`. * **`佩服` (pèifú) vs. `羡慕` (xiànmù):** * **`佩服`:** Admiration for a quality/skill. You appreciate their excellence. * **`羡慕` (xiànmù):** Envy. You admire what they *have* and wish you had it too. * You can feel both: "我真**佩服**你赚钱的能力，也**羡慕**你这么有钱。" (I really **admire** your ability to make money, and I also **envy** that you're so rich.) * **Don't admire inanimate objects:** * **Incorrect:** `我佩服这个手机。` (Wǒ pèifú zhège shǒujī. - I admire this phone.) * **Correct:** `我佩服设计这个手机的人。` (Wǒ pèifú shèjì zhège shǒujī de rén. - I admire the person who designed this phone.) * You **佩服** a person or their actions, not the object itself. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[尊敬]] (zūnjìng) - To respect (due to status, age, or authority). The key term to contrast with **佩服**. * [[羡慕]] (xiànmù) - To envy; to admire something someone has and wish it for yourself. * [[崇拜]] (chóngbài) - To worship, to idolize. A much stronger, less rational form of admiration, often used for celebrities or figures of worship. * [[赞美]] (zànměi) - To praise. This is the act of verbalizing your admiration. If you **佩服** someone, you might **赞美** them. * [[了不起]] (liǎobuqǐ) - An adjective meaning "amazing," "terrific," "extraordinary." You often feel **佩服** for someone who is **了不起**. * [[服了你]] (fúle nǐ) - A very popular and informal slang phrase derived from 服. It means "You win," "I give up," or "You're unbelievable," often said with a tone of exasperated admiration. * [[五体投地]] (wǔ tǐ tóu dì) - A chengyu (idiom) meaning "to prostrate oneself completely" (literally, five limbs/parts of the body touch the ground). Used to express the absolute highest degree of **佩服**. * [[景仰]] (jǐngyǎng) - A very formal, literary term meaning to admire and look up to someone, usually a great historical or moral figure.