Chinese word

祭奠

Pronunciation

Pinyinjì diàn

Meaning

  • verbpay one's respects to

Example

全村今天聚在一起祭奠革命先烈。quán cūn jīn tiān jù zài yì qǐ jì diàn gé mìng xiān liè

The whole village gathers today to pay its respects to the revolutionary martyrs.

Illustration for 祭奠 (pay one's respects to)

More examples

家人带着鲜花到公墓祭奠逝者。jiā rén dài zhe xiān huā dào gōng mù jì diàn shì zhě

The family brought flowers to the cemetery to pay their respects to the deceased.

Core concept

A formal act of honoring the dead through ritual remembrance, often at a grave, memorial, or ceremony.

Common phrases

  • 在墓前祭奠亲人zài mù qián jì diàn qīn rén

    pay one's respects to a family member at the grave

  • 祭奠英雄jì diàn yīng xióng

    pay one's respects to a hero

  • 以鲜花祭奠逝者yǐ xiān huā jì diàn shì zhě

    pay one's respects to the deceased with flowers

Similar words

悼念dào niàn: Mourn a dead person and express grief and respect for that person.
缅怀miǎn huái: Keep the memory and achievements of a respected dead person in mind.
吊唁diào yàn: Visit a bereaved family to offer condolences and words of comfort.
祭祀jì sì: Make ritual offerings before an altar or grave to honor ancestors or gods.

Definition in Chinese

用祭祀或悼念的方式表示对已故者的怀念和哀悼。yòng jì sì huò dào niàn de fāng shì biǎo shì duì yǐ gù zhě de huái niàn hé āi dào

Word origin

祭奠 (jìdiàn, "pay respects to the dead") combines 祭 (jì, "offer ritual sacrifices") with 奠 (diàn, "set out offerings"), linking remembrance of the dead with a formal offering.

Usage tips

  • In conversational Chinese, this formal verb is more common in memorial notices and ceremonies than in casual talk, where simpler mourning expressions are often preferred.

Other meanings

  • mournverb
  • commemorateverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 祭奠仪式jì diàn yí shìmemorial ceremonynoun

Word lists with this word