Chinese word

厚道

Pronunciation

Pinyinhòu dào

Meaning

  • adjectivehonest

Example

厚道的人说话算数。hòu dào de rén shuō huà suàn shù

An honest person keeps their word.

Illustration for 厚道 (honest)

More examples

他为人厚道，同事们都很信任他。tā wéi rén hòu dào tóng shì men dōu hěn xìn rèn tā

He is honest in his dealings, and all his colleagues trust him.

Core concept

The solid character of someone whose words and conduct align and whose dealings leave room for generosity.

Common phrases

  • 为人厚道wéi rén hòu dào

    be honest in one's dealings

  • 待人厚道dài rén hòu dào

    treat others honestly

Similar words

诚实chéng shí: Being truthful and giving an honest account of facts or one's own ideas.
真诚zhēn chéng: Expressing real feelings and honest intentions toward someone.
老实lǎo shí: Plain and open in behavior, without much scheming or deception.
可靠kě kào: Able to be trusted to keep promises and handle duties well.

Definition in Chinese

对人真诚、诚实守信、待人友善且不过分计较的性格或品质。duì rén zhēn chéng chéng shí shǒu xìn dài rén yǒu shàn qiě bú guò fēn jì jiào de xìng gé huò pǐn zhì

Word origin

The compound 厚 (hòu, "generous") + 道 (dào, "way or conduct") links a broad-hearted nature with a proper way of behaving.

Usage tips

  • This adjective works naturally as a warm judgment of character, so it can praise someone after seeing how that person handles a promise, disagreement, or shared cost.

Other meanings

  • kindadjective
  • good-heartedadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word