Kanji 道

音読おんよみ: ドウ・トウ

訓読くんよみ: みち

画数かくすう: 12

部首ぶしゅ: しんにょう（辶）

Meaning

Road / Way / Path / Route / Teachings

  • 道具どうぐ — tool; instrument
  • 報道ほうどう — news report; journalism
  • 道徳どうとく — morals; ethics
  • 水道すいどう — water supply; waterworks
  • 歩道ほどう — sidewalk; walkway
More examples - tap to expand
  • 書道しょどう — calligraphy (“way of writing”)
  • 柔道じゅうどう — judo (“gentle way”)
  • 沿道えんどう — roadside; along the road
  • 公道こうどう — public road; highway
  • 道路どうろ — road; street

道 originally meant a route or track for people or carts. Over time, it came to represent both literal roads and metaphorical paths—like ways of thinking, arts, or life disciplines, as seen in words like 書道 (calligraphy) and 武道 (martial arts).

◀︎ Sayings+ ▶︎