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 "road"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "road", including 道 (dào), 路 (lù), 途 (tú). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "road" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 道 (dào), 路 (lù), 途 (tú) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span dào, lù, tú — 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
- 途 túway; route; roadUseful words: 前途, 途中
Common words for these 3 "road" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 道 (dào) — so "road" 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前途qián túprospects; future outlook; journey途中tú zhōngen route用途yòng túuse; application
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 3 ways to say "road".
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)
途 tú — way; route; road
在旅途中，我们看到了美丽的风景。Zài lǚ tú zhōng, wǒ men kàn dào le měi lì de fēng jǐng.During the journey, we saw beautiful scenery.
Common words: 前途 (qián tú)、途中 (tú zhōng)、用途 (yòng tú)
All 3 characters
Open 道、路、途 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.