(dào lù) - road, path in Mandarin
dàolùTraditional: 道路
Translation
road, path
Word origin
A synonym compound of 道 (dào, way, path) and 路 (lù, road), two words for the same thing paired to make a formal noun.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 道 (dào, way) + 路 (lù, road)
Stroke order
道
路
Examples
宽。
This road is very wide.
。
The road ahead is being repaired.
。
He chose a different path.
。
There are trees on both sides of the road.
。
The road to success is not an easy one.
道路 (dào lù) is a road, and it is the word you meet in written notices, news reports and anything official: 道路施工 for roadworks, 道路安全 for road safety. It takes the measure word 条.
It also carries the figurative sense English gives to "path" or "road": 人生的道路, the road through life, or 通往成功的道路, the road to success. That second use is common enough in speech that it does not sound stiff.
The trap is reaching for it in everyday conversation. Where an English speaker says "the road" a hundred times a day, Chinese uses plain 路 or 马路: 过马路 to cross the road, 路上 on the way. 道路 in that slot sounds like a council sign has started talking.
Where this fits
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道路: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "道路" (road, path): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 50.