0
CharmYou Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

Is there an adjective describing a person who treats his parents well

I think the vocabulary of a language bases a lot on the culture of the country where this language is spoken. Take Chinese for example, we Chinese think, because our parents loved us unconditionally, we should always treat them well to reciprocate. There are tons of Chinese words describing how a person treats their parents. However, I find it really hard to find the English equivalent of the Chinese word ??, meaning treat their parents well, love and respect their parents. So, in Chinese culture, after we find a job, we're obliged to give our parents some money on a regular basis. Otherwise, most people would criticize them as not ??.

Actually, I'm more interested in the cultural part. In your country, do you think it is a son/daughter's obligation to support their parents when they are old? Do you think as a son/daughter, we should give our parents money on a regular basis? And come back to my English question, is there an English equivalent of the Chinese word ??? Describing a person who treats his parents well? My Chinese English teacher translated it as filial, but I don't think it is accurate at all, not even close. You can't call a person who treats their parents well filial, can you? Is there an adjective describing a person who treats his parents well?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filial_piety
I googled this Chinese word and I found it was translated as filial piety, but it's still very Chinese Emotion: sad
  

Top answer

It sounds like that is a good translation, but I think we just don't have the vocabulary item you're looking for. We do, however, have the concept of caring for our parents, especially now that we are all living longer. The new concept is the middle-aged adult who is giving some kind of support to both parents and kids at the same time.

  • It sounds like that is a good translation, but I think we just don't have the vocabulary item you're looking for.
  • We do, however, have the concept of caring for our parents, especially now that we are all living longer.
  • The new concept is the middle-aged adult who is giving some kind of support to both parents and kids at the same time.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

4 Answers
0
It sounds like that is a good translation, but I think we just don't have the vocabulary item you're looking for. We do, however, have the concept of caring for our parents, especially now that we are all living longer. The new concept is the middle-aged adult who is giving some kind of support to both parents and kids at the same time.
0
In the US, the general attitude towards children is to have them leave home to fend for themselves when they are adults. Thus, you don't often see several generations living under the same roof here, like in some other countries. As a kind of corollary to this, you don't often see elderly and infirm parents living with their adult children - here, everyone is expected to fend for themselves, as m
0
CharmYou filial piety
That's a standard English expression for the concept, even if we don't adhere to it in the west.

Related Questions