(dào)

HSK 112 strokes

road

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
dào
Meaning
road; path (CL:条,股[gu3]); (bound form) way; reason; principle; (bound form) a skill; an art; a specialization; (Daoism) the Way; the Dao; to say (introducing a direct quotation, as in a novel); (bound form) to express; to extend (polite words); classifier for long thin things (rivers, cracks, shadows etc), barriers (walls, doors etc), questions (in an exam etc), commands, courses in a meal, steps in a process; (old) circuit (administrative division)
Strokes
12
HSK level
HSK 1
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where comes from and how its parts fit together.

Phonetic-semantic compound⿺辶首

In this compound, the meaning comes from (walk); supplies the sound.

One part carries the meaning, the other suggests the sound.

Made of

Parts are arranged enclosing from the lower left.

How to write step by step

12 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12

Words with

Common words using — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

dào
HSK 6

together

Open 一道 page →
réndào
HSK 7-9

human sympathy

Open 人道 page →
biàn便dào
HSK 7-9

pavement

Open 便道 page →
shìdào

the ways of the world; the morals of the time

Open 世道 page →

one word says it all (idiom)

Open 一语道破 page →

underground drain; sewer

Open 下水道 page →

Related characters

Ready to master 道?

Trace 道 stroke by stroke in the online practice tool, or turn it into a printable worksheet PDF with Tianzige practice grids, pinyin, and stroke-order breakdowns.