正道 (zhèng dào) — the right path; the correct course; the correct principle; the right way (in a moral or philosophical sense)

Definition

正道 (zhèngdào) means 'the right path' in a moral or ethical sense — a principle one upholds, contrasted with 歪门邪道 ('crooked ways'). The pinyin here is zhèngdào, not zhēng.

noun
the right paththe correct coursethe correct principlethe right way (in a moral or philosophical sense)

Examples

  • 正道,。
    Tā jiān chí zǒu zhèng dào, cóng bù zǒu wāi mén xié dào.
    He insists on taking the right path and never takes crooked ways.
  • 正道,。
    Zuò rén yào zūn xún zhèng dào, bù néng wèi le lì yì wéi bèi liáng xīn.
    One must follow the correct principle and not betray one's conscience for profit.
  • ,正道,。
    Zài xué shù yán jiū zhōng, bì xū jiān chí zhèng dào, dù jué chāo xí.
    In academic research, one must adhere to the correct path and eliminate plagiarism.

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.

正zhèngright; correct
道dàopath; way

正 means right or correct and 道 means path or way, so the term denotes the right path or correct principle.

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

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.