隆德 (Lóng dé) — high virtue; lofty moral character

Definition

noun
high virtuelofty moral character

Examples

  • 隆德。
    Tā shì yí wèi Lóng dé zhī rén.
    He is a person of high virtue.
  • 隆德。
    Dà jiā dōu hěn zūn jìng zhè wèi Lóng dé de zhǎng zhě.
    Everyone respects this elder of high virtue.
  • 隆德。
    Gǔ shū lǐ jì zǎi le xǔ duō Lóng dé gù shi.
    Ancient books recorded many stories of high virtue.

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.

隆lónghigh
德dévirtue

隆 (high, great) combines with 德 (virtue) to mean lofty moral character.

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
生生shēng
Sound part声符shēngfú
降
降jiàng隆lóng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape of 隆 is made from 生 and 降, with 降 giving the sound; an older part was later dropped.

Open 隆 →

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
彳彳chìroad
Sound part声符shēngfú
惪
惪dé德dé
Same sound today

德 combines 彳, a road, with 惪, a component meaning virtue that also supplies the sound.

Open 德 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.