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大道理 (dà dào lǐ) — (noun) general principle; great truth; (noun, often derogatory) high-sounding but impractical moralizing; empty preaching

Definition

Literally 'big principles': grand, abstract truths. Often used critically for talk that sounds lofty but is impractical or avoids concrete action.

noun
general principlegreat truth(noun, often derogatory) high-sounding but impractical moralizingempty preaching

Examples

  • 大道理。
    Zhè xiē dà dào lǐ què shí néng zhǐ dǎo wǒ men zuò chū zhèng què de jué cè.
    These great principles can indeed guide us to make correct decisions.
  • 大道理，。
    Bié gēn wǒ jiǎng nà xiē dà dào lǐ, wǒ zhī xiǎng zhī dào jù tǐ zěn me bàn.
    Don't give me all that moralizing talk; I just want to know what to do specifically.
  • 大道理，。
    Tā zhī huì shuō dà dào lǐ, méi yǒu shí jì xíng dòng.
    He only talks big principles but takes no real action.

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.

大dàbig
道理principle
道dàoway/reason理lǐprinciple
联合Coordinate

大 “big” and 道理 “principle/reason” form big principles, often high-sounding.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ理lǐ
Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

Open 理 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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