Chinese word

敦厚

Pronunciation

Pinyindūn hòu

Meaning

  • adjectivegood-natured

Example

王老师为人敦厚，学生很敬重他。wáng lǎo shī wéi rén dūn hòu xué shēng hěn jìng zhòng tā

Mr. Wang is good-natured, and his students respect him.

Illustration for 敦厚 (good-natured)

More examples

他待人敦厚，邻里对他都很信赖。tā dài rén dūn hòu lín lǐ duì tā dōu hěn xìn lài

He treats others with kindness, and all his neighbors trust him.

Core concept

A steady, sincere character that treats others with gentle respect and generous patience.

Common phrases

  • 待人敦厚dài rén dūn hòu

    treat others with kindness

  • 敦厚可亲dūn hòu kě qīn

    good-natured and approachable

Similar words

诚实chéng shí: Speaking truthfully and behaving in an honest, straightforward way.
诚恳chéng kěn: Approaching other people with an earnest and sincere attitude.
温厚wēn hòu: Having a gentle, calm nature and treating people kindly.
善良shàn liáng: Being kind-hearted and considerate of other people's needs.

Definition in Chinese

性格诚恳、不虚伪，对人宽厚有礼。xìng gé chéng kěn bù xū wěi duì rén kuān hòu yǒu lǐ

Word origin

敦厚 (dūnhòu, "good-natured") combines 敦 (dūn, "earnest and sincere") with 厚 (hòu, "generous and kind"), linking honesty with a warm, substantial character.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, this adjective often sounds more formal than everyday praise and suits respectful descriptions of a person's character.

Other meanings

  • sincereadjective
  • gentleadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word