道 meaning and stroke order
Road; path (CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3]); (bound form) way; reason; principle; (bound form) a skill; an art; a specialization
How to write 道, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 道
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- road; path (CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3])
- (bound form) way; reason; principle
- (bound form) a skill; an art; a specialization
- (Daoism) the Way; the Dao
- to say (introducing a direct quotation, as in a novel)
- (bound form) to express; to extend (polite words)
How 道 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 首 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 道
道 combines 辶 (walking) with 首 (shǒu, head). Picture a head leading the body as it walks along a road, and the road becomes the way or method you follow.
道 appears in many everyday words: 知道 (zhīdào) to know, 道理 (dàolǐ) reason, 味道 (wèidào) taste, and 街道 (jiēdào) street. In novels it can introduce a quotation, like 说 (shuō). Example: 我不知道。(Wǒ bù zhīdào.) I don't know.
Common mistake: In 知道 (zhīdào), the 道 is often read with a neutral tone as zhīdao in speech, so learners who stress a full fourth tone sound stiff. Also, 首 inside 道 has two short strokes on top, so do not write it as 自 alone.
Common words with 道
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 知道 | zhīdào | to know; to become aware of; also pr. [zhi1dao5] | HSK 1 |
| 味道 | wèidào | flavor; taste; (fig.) feeling (of ...); sense (of ...); hint (of ...) | HSK 2 |
| 道理 | dàolǐ | reason; argument | HSK 2 |
| 道路 | dàolù | road; path | HSK 2 |
| 难道 | nándào | don't tell me ...; could it be that...? | HSK 3 |
| 报道 | bàodào | to report (news); report | HSK 3 |
| 街道 | jiēdào | street; subdistrict | HSK 4 |
| 道德 | dàodé | virtue; morality | HSK 5 |
| 频道 | píndào | frequency; (television) channel | HSK 5 |
| 道歉 | dàoqiàn | to apologize | HSK 6 |
| 一道 | yīdào | together | HSK 6 |
| 轨道 | guǐdào | track (for trains etc); orbit (of a satellite) | HSK 6 |
| 大道 | dàdào | main street; avenue | HSK 6 |
| 通道 | tōngdào | (communications) channel; thoroughfare | HSK 6 |
道 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 道
Learning 道 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 道
How many strokes are in 道?
道 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 道 mean?
道 (dào) means road; path (CL:條|条[tiao2],股[gu3]); (bound form) way; reason; principle; (bound form) a skill; an art; a specialization. A common word with it is 知道 (zhīdào), meaning "to know; to become aware of; also pr. [zhi1dao5]".
How do you pronounce 道?
道 is pronounced dào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 道?
The radical of 道 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 道 under this radical.
Is 道 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 道 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 道 and 路?
Both can mean road, but 路 (lù) is the everyday word for a physical road or route. 道 is more often used in compounds and for abstract ideas like method, principle, or the Dao.
Can 道 be used as a measure word?
Yes. 道 counts things like exam questions, dishes of food, and long narrow things such as light beams, as in 一道题 (yí dào tí) one question and 一道菜 (yí dào cài) one dish.