The character 德 — “virtue”: how to write it and what it means
virtue, morality
The Chinese character 德 is read dé and means “virtue, morality”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 德
德 has 15 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 德, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 德 is made of
On the left, 彳 “step”; bottom right, 心 “heart”. Also 德国 — Germany, chosen for the sound.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 德
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 德?
德 has 15 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 德 mean?
德 means “virtue, morality”. It appears in 道德 (“morality”).
How do you pronounce 德?
德 is read dé. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 德 have?
15 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 德 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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