神道 (Shén dào) — (Chinese folk religion) the way of gods and spirits; beliefs about ghostly and divine influences; (architecture) tomb passage; the path leading to a burial mound; (Japanese religion) Shinto

Definition

One word, three distinct senses: (1) Chinese folk beliefs about gods/spirits, (2) the stone path leading to a tomb, (3) Japanese Shinto. Context (Chinese vs Japanese subject matter, architecture vs religion) picks the right sense.

noun
(Chinese folk religion) the way of gods and spiritsbeliefs about ghostly and divine influences(architecture) tomb passagethe path leading to a burial mound(Japanese religion) Shinto

Examples

  • 神道。
    Zhōng guó gǔ dài de Shén dào xìn yǎng yǐng xiǎng le mín jiān wén huà.
    Ancient Chinese beliefs about the way of spirits influenced folk culture.
  • 神道。
    Zhè zuò líng mù de Shén dào liǎng páng yǒu shí shòu.
    There are stone animals on both sides of the tomb passage of this mausoleum.
  • 神道。
    Rì běn Shén dào qiáng diào duì zì rán de chóng bài.
    Japanese Shinto emphasizes the worship of nature.

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.

神shéngod
道dàoway

“神” (gods) and “道” (way) combine to mean the way of gods or a sacred path.

Characters in this word

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
示示shìgod; deity
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn神shén
Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

Open 神 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.