Definition
道德 (dào dé) refers to the general system of moral principles and social norms that guide right and wrong behavior. It is broader than 美德 (měi dé 'virtue'), which denotes specific good qualities, and more everyday than 伦理 (lún lǐ 'ethics'), which is the academic study of moral principles. As an adjective, it often appears in 不道德 (bù dàodé 'immoral').
noun
moralityvirtueethics
adjective
moral(often used in 不道德 'immoral')
Measure word · 种
Examples
- 道德。Měi ge rén dōu yīnggāi zūnshǒu shèhuì dào dé.Everyone should abide by social morality.
- ，。Wèile yì yì diǎn xiǎo shì piàn rén, zhè zhǒng zuòfǎ hěn bù dào dé.Cheating over a small matter — this kind of behavior is very immoral.
- 道德，。dào dé hé fǎlǜ bùtóng, tā gèng duō kào nèixīn yuēshù.Morality differs from law; it relies more on internal restraint.
Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.