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Kanji for Respect
The kanji most commonly used for "Respect" are 敬、尊、崇.
敬
Kanji that mean Respect
敬 (kei / uyamau) is respect as conduct — the deference you enact. It is the character of 尊敬 (respect for a person), 敬語 (honorific language — the grammar Japanese dedicates to respect), and 敬老の日, Respect-for-the-Aged Day, a national holiday. The letter-closing 敬具 bows on paper.
尊 (son / tattoi) is respect as worth — the precious and the venerable. A ritual wine vessel held in two hands: what is lifted up. 尊厳 is dignity; 尊重 is respecting (an opinion, a right); the classical suffix 〜の尊 honoured gods and princes. Modern slang has even minted 尊い (“too precious”) for whatever fans adore.
崇 (sū) is reverence at mountain height — 崇拝 is worship, 崇高 the sublime. And 仰ぐ (aogu) is to look up to, literally. Confucian tradition binds the family case into 孝 — filial piety, the respect owed parents — historically the root of all the others.
Words using Respect kanji
Everyday Japanese vocabulary built from the characters above.
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敬称
けいしょう
honorific title; honorific term of address
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尊重
そんちょう
respect; esteem; regard
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崇拝
すうはい
worship; adoration; admiration
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敬意
けいい
respect; honour; honor
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尊厳
そんげん
dignity; majesty; sanctity
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尊敬
そんけい
respect; esteem; reverence
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敬遠
けいえん
pretending to respect (someone) while in fact staying distant; keeping at arm's length; giving a wide berth
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尊い
とうとい
precious; valuable; priceless
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敬老
けいろう
respect for the aged
Before you use Respect kanji
敬 is the disciplined choice — respect as practice, the dōjō's own virtue; 礼 (courtesy) sits beside it in every martial hall. 尊 reads as "precious, venerable" and warmer. 崇 alone tips toward worship. All are safe; 尊敬 in full is the everyday word for the respect people earn.