Chinese word

道德

Pronunciation

Pinyindào dé

Meaning

  • nounmorality

Example

在家庭里教孩子道德很重要。zài jiā tíng lǐ jiào hái zi dào dé hěn zhòng yào

Teaching children about morality at home is very important.

Illustration for 道德 (morality)

More examples

他的道德修养让同事很佩服。tā de dào dé xiū yǎng ràng tóng shì hěn pèi fú

His moral cultivation earns great admiration from his colleagues.

Core concept

A standard for right and wrong that guides both a person's conduct and a community's expectations.

Common phrases

  • 个人道德修养gè rén dào dé xiū yǎng

    personal moral cultivation

  • 职业道德规范zhí yè dào dé guī fàn

    professional ethical standards

  • 道德观念dào dé guān niàn

    moral concepts

Similar words

良心liáng xīn: An inner sense that recognizes right and wrong and urges proper action.
品德pǐn dé: The degree of moral goodness shown in a person's character and conduct.
道义dào yì: A sense of duty and principles of conduct that a society or group expects people to follow.
礼貌lǐ mào: A courteous and respectful manner when dealing with other people.

Definition in Chinese

指个人或集体关于是非、善恶的行为准则和内在品行。zhǐ gè rén huò jí tǐ guān yú shì fēi shàn è de xíng wéi zhǔn zé hé nèi zài pǐn xíng

Word origin

道 (dào, "way") + 德 (dé, "virtue") form a compound linking a way of conduct with the virtue shown by following it.

Usage tips

  • Chinese can apply this noun to standards held by a whole community as well as to an individual's character, so the context shows whether the focus is social or personal.

Related words

  • 职业道德zhí yè dào déprofessional ethicsnoun
  • 道德修养dào dé xiū yǎngmoral cultivationnoun

Word lists with this word