孝是儒教传统提倡的行为，指儿女的行为应尊重父母、家里的长辈以及先人的良心意愿，不至于行差踏错而使他们蒙羞，是一种稳定伦常关系表现。所谓「百行孝为先」，反映中华民族极为重视孝的观念。

孝顺被认为是中华文化中重要的美德之一，也是儒家家庭伦理的核心，且很多故事皆以「孝顺」为主图，《二十四孝》是这些故事中最为知名的其中之一。华人彼此间常常会很有不一样的宗教信仰，但孝顺的观念在华人之间是共通的，据史学者裴达礼（Hugh D.R. Baker）所言，对家庭的尊重的观念，是各种信仰的华人间唯一的共通点。

In Confucian philosophy, filial piety (Chinese:孝, xiào) is a virtue of respect for one's father, elders, and ancestors. The Confucian classic Xiao Jing or Classic of Xiào, thought to be written around the Qin-Han period, has historically been the authoritative source on the Confucian tenet of xiào / "filial piety". The book, a conversation between Confucius and his student Zeng Shen (曾參, also known as Zengzi 曾子), is about how to set up a good society using the principle of xiào (filial piety). The term can also be applied to general obedience, and is used in religious titles in Christian Churches, like "filial priest" or "filial vicar" for a cleric whose church is subordinate to a larger parish. Filial piety is central to Confucian role ethics.