敬けい虔けん

け

い

け

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Describes a deeply religious, reverent attitude or person. Often used in Christian contexts but applicable to any faith.

彼かの女じょは敬けい虔けんなクリスチャンです。
She is a devout Christian.
敬けい虔けんな祈いのりを捧ささげた。
They offered a pious prayer.

See all 22 example sentences ›

Kanji

敬awe, respect, honor
虔respect
謙self-effacing, humble oneself, condescend

Related words

信しん心じん深ぶかい
信心深い also means 'pious' or 'devout', but emphasizes deep, personal faith and is more commonly used in everyday speech. 敬虔 is slightly more formal and often used in written or religious contexts.

Word family

不ふ敬けい虔けん
impiety; irreverence; lack of piety

Written forms

敬けい虔けんUsage97%
Standard kanji spelling.
敬けいけんUsage2%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form; not a standard written variant.
敬けい謙けんUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form; not a standard written variant.

Etymology

From the kanji 敬 (respect, reverence) and 虔 (pious, respectful). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound has been used in Japanese to express religious devotion.