pèifú: 佩服 - To Admire, To Have Respect For

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

In Chinese culture, expressing 佩服 (pèifú) is a common and important social lubricant. It's a way of giving someone “face” (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.

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 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.

• `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.

• 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.