道 dào — direction; way; method; road; path; principle
这条道路通向公园。Zhè tiáo dào lù tōng xiàng gōng yuán.This road leads to the park.
Common words: 知道 (zhī dào)、味道 (wèi dao)、道路 (dào lù)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "path"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "path", including 道 (dào), 路 (lù), 径 (jìng), 轨 (guǐ). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "path" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 道 (dào), 路 (lù), 径 (jìng), 轨 (guǐ) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span dào, lù, jìng, guǐ — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 道 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 道 dàodirection; way; method; road; path; principleUseful words: 知道, 味道
- 路 lù(surname); road; path; wayUseful words: 路上, 走路
- 径 jìngpathUseful words: 途径, 田径
- 轨 guǐcourse; path; track; railUseful words: 轨道, 轨迹
Common words for these 4 "path" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 道 (dào) — so "path" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
知道zhī dàoto know; to become aware of味道wèi daoflavor; taste; (fig.) feeling (of ...); sense (of ...)道路dào lùroad; path; way路上lù shangon the road; on the way; en route走路zǒu lùto walk; to go on foot; to leave; to depart马路mǎ lùstreet; road途径tú jìngway; means; channel田径tián jìngtrack and field (athletics)口径kǒu jìngbore; caliber; diameter; aperture轨道guǐ dàotrack (for trains etc); orbit (of a satellite); (fig.) a person's established path in life; desired trajectory (of a business or other endeavor)
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "path".
路 lù — (surname); road; path; way
过马路要小心。Guò mǎ lù yào xiǎo xīn.Be careful when crossing the road.
Common words: 路上 (lù shang)、走路 (zǒu lù)、马路 (mǎ lù)
径 jìng — path
一条小径通向树林深处。Yì tiáo xiǎo jìng tōng xiàng shù lín shēn chù.A small path leads deep into the woods.
Common words: 途径 (tú jìng)、田径 (tián jìng)、口径 (kǒu jìng)
轨 guǐ — course; path; track; rail
火车沿着铁轨平稳地行驶。Huǒ chē yán zhe tiě guǐ píng wěn de xíng shǐ.The train runs smoothly along the rails.
Common words: 轨道 (guǐ dào)、轨迹 (guǐ jì)、接轨 (jiē guǐ)
All 4 characters
Open 道、路、径 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.