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武士道 (wǔ shì dào) — bushido; the way of the warrior (Japanese samurai code)

Definition

A Japanese loanword meaning the samurai code of conduct, often mentioned in Chinese writing about Japanese culture, history, or films. Use it when you want to name that specific Japanese tradition, not as a general term for warrior ethics.

noun
bushidothe way of the warrior (Japanese samurai code)

Examples

  • 武士道。
    wǔ shì dào Shì rì běn wǔ shì de xíng wéi zhǔn zé.
    Bushido is the code of conduct for Japanese samurai.
  • 武士道。
    Hěn duō rén tōng guò diàn yǐng liǎo jiě wǔ shì dào jīng shén.
    Many people learn about the bushido spirit through movies.
  • 武士道，。
    Suī rán wǔ shì dào yuán yú gǔ dài, dàn zài jīn tiān de rì běn réng rán yǒu yǐng xiǎng.
    Although bushido originated in ancient times, it still has influence in Japan today.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

武士warrior
武wǔmartial士shìwarrior
偏正Modifier + head
道dàoway

The “道” of the “武士” names the samurai code: “武士” is the warrior and “道” is the way.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

武 puts 戈 (dagger-axe) above 止 (foot/to walk), showing an army going on an expedition.

Open 武 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 士 comes from a simple drawing of a war axe. The character later came to mean a soldier, officer, or intellectual.

Open 士 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →
Appears in
History

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