Japanese Conversation · Level 123
60 words
Japanese word
孝行
Pronunciation
Romajikōkō
Meaning
- nounfilial piety
Example
親に孝行することは大切です。oya ni kō kō su ru ko to wa tai setsu de su
Being good to one's parents is important.
More examples
両親への孝行として、毎月一度は電話をかけています。ryō shin e no kō kō to shi te mai tsuki ichi do wa den wa o ka ke te i ma su
As an act of filial piety toward my parents, I call them at least once a month.
Core concept
It centers on treating one's parents with respect and care as a moral responsibility.
Common phrases
親への孝行oya e no kō kō
filial piety toward one's parents
孝行をするkō kō o su ru
show filial piety
孝行を尽くすkō kō o tsu ku su
do one's utmost for one's parents
Similar words
親孝行oyakōkō: The practice of showing respect and care to one's parents through helpful actions.
孝心kōshin: A feeling of respect and affection toward one's parents that motivates care for them.
孝kō: Respect and care for one's parents as a moral duty, expressed in formal or literary language.
Definition in Japanese
親を敬い、世話をしたり尽くしたりすること。oya o uyama i se wa o shi ta ri tsu ku shi ta ri su ru ko to
Word origin
The Sino-Japanese compound 孝行 (kōkō) combines 孝 (kō, "filial respect") and 行 (kō, "conduct"), linking respect for parents with proper conduct toward them.
Usage tips
- In modern conversation, 孝行 (kōkō) can sound formal, while 親孝行 (oyakōkō) is more familiar when discussing how someone treats their parents.
Other meanings
- filialna-adjective
Opposites
- 不孝fukōunfilial behaviornoun
Related words
- 孝行者kōkōshafilial personnoun
- 孝行ぶりkōkōburidisplay of filial pietynoun