zung1 haau3忠孝

Jyutpingzung1 haau3

Yalejūng haau

Definition

Loyalty to one's country and filial piety to one's parents.

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How it's used

This term carries a strong traditional moral weight, often associated with Confucian values. It is rarely used in casual, everyday speech to describe someone's personality unless the speaker is making a deliberate point about traditional virtues. In modern contexts, it can sound slightly formal or even old-fashioned, as people might prefer more specific descriptions like 孝順 to describe filial piety.

Examples

keoi5佢fan6份jan4人hou2好zung1忠haau3孝，seng4成jat6日faan1返uk1屋kei2企pui4陪aa3阿maa5媽。

He is very loyal and obedient to his parents, always going home to keep his mother company.

nei5你gok3覺dak1得ji4而gaa1家di1啲hau6後saang1生zai2仔zung6仲gong2講m4唔gong2講zung1忠haau3孝aa4呀？

Do you think young people nowadays still talk about being loyal and obedient to their parents?

Common phrases

zung1忠haau3孝loeng5兩cyun4全

to be both loyal to one's country and filial to one's parents

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with 孝順, which specifically refers to filial piety toward parents. 忠孝 is a broader concept that combines loyalty to one's superiors or country with obedience to parents, making it much more formal and less common in daily life than 孝順.