(dào) - way, path, principle, doctrine in Mandarin
dàoTraditional: 道
Translation
way, path, principle, doctrine
Word origin
A compound of the walk radical and the head element, depicting a head moving along a road. From the literal road it extended to way, method and guiding principle.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 辶 (walk) + 首 (head)
Stroke order
道
Examples
。
This is the only way.
。
He understands the principle of conduct.
。
There is a narrow path in the mountains.
,。
People who follow different ways do not plan together.
。
This shop has a very good flavour.
道 (dào) means way, path, principle, doctrine. It runs from a physical road to abstract notions like the Dao of Daoism.
Where this fits
Appears in 4 words
Multi-character compounds in the corpus that contain 道.
Used in
Stories
(1)Grammar articles
(24)Mandarin Advanced Grammar (C1-C2 / HSK 6+): Chengyu, Classical Remnants, and Register
Mandarin Aspect Markers: 了, 在/正在, 过 - the System That Replaces Tense
不但...而且 in Mandarin: Not Only A But Also B (不仅, 还, 也, 并且)
Mandarin Causatives 使 (shǐ), 令 (lìng) and 让 (ràng): Making Someone Feel or Do Something
Mandarin 除了...以外: One Frame, Two Opposite Meanings
Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以, 如果…就 and the Paired Structures That Join Clauses
Asking How + Adjective in Mandarin with 多: 多高, 多远, 多长, 多大
Figurative Directional Complements in Mandarin: 起来, 下去 and 出来 Beyond Up, Down and Out
Mandarin Existential and Presentative Sentences: 有, 出现, 发生 and Why New Things Go After the Verb
就 (jiù) vs 才 (cái) in Mandarin: Sooner Than Expected, Later Than Expected
The Two 了 in Mandarin: Completion 了 After the Verb vs Change-of-State 了 at the End
The Mandarin 连...都/也 Construction: How to Say 'Even', and Why the Word Has to Move
Mandarin Negation: 不 (bù) vs 没 (méi), and Why 不有 Does Not Exist
Mandarin Potential Complements: Can You Reach the Result? (吃得完, 听不懂, 买不起)
Mandarin Question Formation: 吗, V-Not-V, 还是, and the In-Situ Wh-Word System
Mandarin Rhetorical Questions: 难道, 不是...吗, 何必 and 岂不
Mandarin Sentence-Final Particles: 吧, 呢, 啊, 嘛, 吗 and the Final 了
The Mandarin 所 (suǒ) Family: 所有, 所谓, 所 + Verb, and the 为...所 Passive
Topic-Comment Structure in Mandarin: Fronting 这本书我看过 and Why Word Order Bends
Mandarin Verb Reduplication: 看看, 看一看, 休息休息 and the 一下 Alternative
Mandarin Sentence Structure: Word Order, Topic-Comment and the 把 Construction
Mandarin 性 (xìng) and 化 (huà): Building Abstract Nouns and '-ise' Verbs
Yes-No Questions in Mandarin: 吗 (ma), Echo Answers, and the Bounce-Back 呢 (ne)
The Mandarin 以 (yǐ) Family: 以为, 以及, 以便, 以免, 以来 and 以...为...
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Go to my review queueMandarin · Free printables
道: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "道" (way, path, principle, doctrine): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 23.