Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 百善孝为先
Traditional: 百善孝為先
Pinyin: bǎi shàn xiào wéi xiān
Literal translation
Among a hundred virtues, filial respect comes first.
Natural English meaning
Respect and care for parents are treated as a foundational virtue.
Closest English equivalent
Honor your father and mother.
The Chinese saying ranks filial conduct within a traditional moral hierarchy.
When to use it
Use it when explaining traditional values of family duty and elder care.
When not to use it
Present it with cultural context rather than as an unlimited demand for obedience.
Example sentence
照顾年迈的父母体现了百善孝为先的观念。
Caring for elderly parents reflects the traditional priority given to filial respect.
Origin and cultural context
A widely circulated moral maxim shaped by Confucian family ethics; the exact popular wording is later than the classical texts.
Classification: popular saying. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
