敬而远之
jìng ér yuǎn zhī
to keep at a respectful distance
Character by character
敬jìng
respect
respect
而ér
and
and
远yuǎn
keep far
keep far
之zhī
them
them
Example
他脾气太大，同事们对他都敬而远之。
He has such a temper that his colleagues all keep a polite distance from him.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
From Confucius: 敬鬼神而远之 (《论语·雍也》), “respect ghosts and spirits but keep them at a distance”. Today used of people or things you avoid politely: 对…敬而远之. Often a polite way of saying you steer clear of someone.
Learn this in Lesson 45 · HSK 5–6: 灶王爷与财神 (The household gods)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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