honorific
/ˌɒnəˈrɪfɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɑːnəˈrɪfɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌä-nə-ˈri-fik/ (ame, mw) · /ˌɒn.ərˈɪf.ɪk/ (bre, ipa)
honorific — 形容詞
- honorificpositive
- more honorificcomparative
- most honorificsuperlative
1. describing a title, form of address, or gesture that is added to mark high socia
敬稱的
用於頭銜或稱呼，表示尊敬或地位
describing a title, form of address, or gesture that is added to mark high social status or to give someone special respect
Valentina was given the honorific title 'Professor Emerita' when she retired from the university.
Valentina 從大學退休時，獲頒「榮譽教授」這個敬稱頭銜。
honorific + title for marking earned status
In Japanese, '-san' is an honorific suffix added to almost every adult's name.
在日文中，「-san」是一個敬稱字尾，加在幾乎每個成年人的名字後面。
honorific + suffix in language description
The mayor handed Eli an honorific medal for thirty years of library volunteer work.
市長頒給 Eli 一面榮譽勳章，表彰他三十年的圖書館志工服務。
Calling an older Korean cousin 'oppa' is an honorific way of showing family respect.
稱呼年長的韓國表哥為「oppa」，是一種敬稱的方式，用來表達家族間的尊敬。
The retired ambassador still receives honorific invitations to embassy dinners across Europe.
那位退休大使至今仍會收到歐洲各國大使館晚宴的榮譽邀請函。
- ceremonial
stresses the formal ritual function, not the respect carried
- titular
shares the 'in name only' nuance but means holding a title without the duties
- complimentary
wider — any flattering label, not just one marking social rank
- disrespectful
describes a manner; opposite in intent rather than in grammar
- pejorative
a label that lowers status instead of raising it
文法句型
honorific + title / form / address
an honorific term
用法筆記
Almost always sits directly in front of a noun like 'title', 'name', 'address', 'medal', 'suffix', or 'role'. The honorific label itself usually carries no working duty — it is given to acknowledge status, not to assign tasks.
常見錯誤
honorific — 名詞
- honorificsingular
- honorificsplural
1. a word or short label placed before or after a person's name to show politeness,
敬稱；尊稱
加在姓名前後表示禮貌或身分的稱呼語
a word or short label placed before or after a person's name to show politeness, social rank, or professional standing — for example 'Mr', 'Dr', 'Your Honour', or the Japanese '-san'
On formal invitations, Shirin still prefers the honorific 'Doctor' before her surname.
在正式請帖上，Shirin 仍偏好在姓氏前加上「Doctor」這個敬稱。
the honorific 'X' before a name
Hyun warned the new exchange student to never drop honorifics when speaking to her grandparents.
Hyun 提醒這位新來的交換學生，跟她的祖父母說話時絕對不能省略敬稱。
drop honorifics in a social context
Many email systems now let users choose 'Mx' as a gender-neutral honorific.
現在許多電子郵件系統都讓使用者選擇「Mx」作為不分性別的敬稱。
Court reporters in Manila address the judge with the honorific 'Your Honour' throughout the hearing.
馬尼拉的法庭書記員整場聽證會都以敬稱「Your Honour」稱呼法官。
Adaeze added the honorific 'Chief' to her father's name on the wedding programme.
Adaeze 在婚禮節目單上，把「Chief」這個敬稱加在父親的名字前。
- title
everyday word; an honorific is a specific kind of title used in direct address
- salutation
the opening greeting of a letter, which often contains an honorific
- form of address
covers the whole way of speaking to someone, including the honorific plus name
文法句型
use / add / drop an honorific
the honorific 'X'
用法筆記
Often used in language teaching and cultural writing to talk about politeness systems in Japanese, Korean, Thai, and other languages. In English, common honorifics include 'Mr', 'Ms', 'Mrs', 'Mx', 'Dr', 'Sir', 'Dame', and 'Your Honour'.