Definitions
(noun)
road; path; way
(noun)
principle; truth; morality; reason
(noun)
method; skill; way of doing something
(verb)
to say; to speak
(noun)
Dao (in Daoism)
(particle)
measure word for long and narrow objects
About
The character 道, meaning "way" or "path", derives from a semantic-phonetic composition, combining the "walk" or "movement" radical (辵, often written as 辶) with the component 首, which depicts a head. This structure originally conveyed the concrete idea of a road or a physical path to travel upon, with 首 possibly contributing both phonetic and semantic elements, suggesting a leading direction. Over time, especially through its adoption in classical Chinese philosophy, most notably in Daoist texts such as the "Daodejing", the meaning expanded profoundly from the tangible to the abstract, coming to signify the natural order of the universe, the fundamental principle, or the method and doctrine by which one should live. This conceptual shift elevated 道 from a simple noun for a roadway to a central philosophical term encompassing truth, morality, and the ineffable source of all being, while its original, concrete meaning has persisted in parallel usage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我知道这条路。
这条道路很宽。
你说得有道理。
他向我道歉了。
新闻报道很重要。
这道菜味道很好。
请换一个电视频道。
卫星轨道计算复杂。