督导 (dū dǎo) — to direct and supervise; to oversee and guide

Definition

Formal verb meaning 'to oversee and guide' — emphasizes both monitoring progress and giving direction, stronger and more official than plain 监督.

verb
to direct and superviseto oversee and guide

Examples

  • 督导。
    Xiào zhǎng qīn zì dū dǎo zhè cì jiào xué gǎi gé.
    The principal personally supervised this teaching reform.
  • 督导。
    Gōng sī pài le yí wèi jīng lǐ lái dū dǎo xiàng mù jìn dù.
    The company sent a manager to oversee the project progress.
  • 督导，。
    Wǒ men xū yào jiā qiáng dū dǎo, què bǎo chǎn pǐn zhì liàng.
    We need to strengthen supervision to ensure product quality.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

督dūoversee
导dǎoguide

督 means to oversee and 导 means to guide, so they express direct supervision.

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
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
叔
叔shū督dū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

督 pairs 目 (eye) with 叔, which gives the sound; the shape shows looking over or overseeing with eyes.

Open 督 →

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 導; 导 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
道
道dào導
Same sound today

The traditional form 導 pairs 道 (path) as the sound part with 寸 (hand), giving the sense of leading someone. The simplified 导 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 导 →

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