导 meaning and stroke order
To direct, to guide, to lead, to conduct
How to write 导, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 导
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to transmit
- to lead
- to guide
- to conduct
- to direct
How 导 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A hand 寸 pointing the way to someplace 巳.
Radical: 寸 (inch), shared by 18 characters on this site.
How to remember 导
The bottom part 寸 is a hand, and the top part 巳 stands for a place. Picture a hand pointing the way to someplace, and you have 导 (dǎo), to guide or lead.
导 rarely appears alone in modern speech. It mostly shows up in words like 导演 (dǎoyǎn, director), 领导 (lǐngdǎo, leader) and 导游 (dǎoyóu, tour guide). Example: 我们的导游很热情。(Wǒmen de dǎoyóu hěn rèqíng.) Our tour guide is very friendly.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as 己 (jǐ) or 已 (yǐ) instead of 巳, but in 导 the top stroke closes fully into the frame like 巳. Also, 导致 (dǎozhì) usually introduces a bad result, so do not use it for good outcomes the way you might use "lead to" in English.
Common words with 导
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 导演 | dǎoyǎn | to direct; director (film etc) | HSK 3 |
| 领导 | lǐngdǎo | lead; leading | HSK 3 |
| 指导 | zhǐdǎo | to guide; to direct; to instruct; coach; trainer | HSK 3 |
| 导致 | dǎozhì | to lead to; to create; to cause; to bring about | HSK 4 |
| 引导 | yǐndǎo | to guide; to lead (around) | HSK 4 |
| 导游 | dǎoyóu | tour guide; guidebook | HSK 4 |
| 向导 | xiàngdǎo | guide | HSK 5 |
| 主导 | zhǔdǎo | leading; dominant | HSK 5 |
| 倡导 | chàngdǎo | to advocate; to initiate | HSK 5 |
| 导弹 | dǎodàn | (guided) missile | HSK 7-9 |
| 导师 | dǎoshī | tutor; teacher | HSK 7-9 |
| 误导 | wùdǎo | to mislead; to misguide | HSK 7-9 |
| 导航 | dǎoháng | (lit. and fig.) to navigate | HSK 7-9 |
| 辅导 | fǔdǎo | to guide; to mentor; to counsel; to coach; to tutor | HSK 7-9 |
导 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 导
How many strokes are in 导?
导 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 导 mean?
导 (dǎo) means to direct, to guide, to lead, to conduct. A common word with it is 导演 (dǎoyǎn), meaning "to direct; director (film etc)".
How do you pronounce 导?
导 is pronounced dǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 导?
The radical of 导 is 寸, which carries the idea of "inch". Dictionaries list 导 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 导?
The traditional form of 导 is 導. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 导 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 导 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 导 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 导致 and 引起?
Both mean to cause. 导致 (dǎozhì) stresses a final result, often a negative one, like 导致失败 (lead to failure). 引起 (yǐnqǐ) focuses on triggering something, such as 引起注意 (attract attention).
Can 领导 mean both a verb and a noun?
Yes. As a verb it means to lead, as in 领导团队 (lead a team). As a noun it means a leader or boss, and in workplaces people often say 我的领导 to mean my supervisor.