妇道 (fù dào) — women (collectively); womenfolk; traditional female virtues; proper conduct for women (especially in Confucian context)

Definition

Literally 'the way of women,' referring to traditional Confucian virtues and proper conduct expected of women. Note: 妇女 is the neutral collective term for 'women' today — 妇道 carries a historical/ethical connotation.

noun
women (collectively)womenfolktraditional female virtuesproper conduct for women (especially in Confucian context)

Examples

  • ，妇道。
    Zài jiù shè huì, fù dào bèi rèn wéi yīng gāi zūn shǒu sān cóng sì dé.
    In old society, women were thought to follow the Three Obediences and Four Virtues.
  • 妇道。
    Tā xiě le yì piān guān yú xiàn dài fù dào jué sè de lùn wén.
    She wrote a thesis about the role of women in modern society.
  • 妇道。
    Nà ge cūn zi lǐ de fù dào dōu hěn qín láo.
    The women in that village are all very hardworking.

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.

妇fùwoman
道dàoway

妇 means woman and 道 means way or conduct, so the word denotes women's proper conduct or womenfolk.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 婦; 妇 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
帚
帚zhǒu婦fù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 婦 pairs 女 (woman) with 帚 (broom), and the Shuowen reads it as a woman holding a broom. The simplified 妇 is a shorthand.

Open 妇 →

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.