道教 (dào jiào) — Daoism (a Chinese religion and philosophy)

Definition

Daoism, the indigenous Chinese religion and philosophy rooted in the teachings of the 道 (Dào, "the Way"). Unlike an organized faith with a single founder, it is a broad tradition of practice, cosmology, and ethics.

noun
Daoism (a Chinese religion and philosophy)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 道教。
    dào jiào Shì zhōng guó sān dà zōng jiào zhī yī.
    Daoism is one of the three major religions in China.
  • 道教。
    Tā yán jiū dào jiào hěn duō nián le.
    He has studied Daoism for many years.
  • 道教。
    Wǒ duì dào jiào de lì shǐ hěn gǎn xìng qù.
    I am very interested in the history of Daoism.

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.

道dàothe Dao
教jiàoteaching

道 (the Dao) + 教 (teaching) names the religion of the Dao.

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
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 →

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
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →

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