德

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

德 (Kangxi radical 60, 彳+12, 15 strokes, cangjie input 竹人十田心 (HOJWP), four-corner 2423₆, composition ⿰彳𢛳)

Derived characters

• 𪢝, 𥌩, 𮕏

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 371, character 8
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10243
• Dae Jaweon: page 698, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 841, character 17
• Unihan data for U+5FB7

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 德
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tɯːɡ) : semantic 彳 (“road”) + phonetic 惪 (OC *tɯːɡ, “virtue”). 惪 is corrupted into 𢛳.

Etymology

“virtue; morality; favour”

An allofam is probably 直 (OC *dɯɡ, “straight; right”) (Schuessler, 2007). Also seen as phonetically related to 得 (OC *tɯːɡ, “to obtain”) (Han Feizi; Liu, 1988; Chen & Xu, 1989; Xu & Li 2000; apud Theobald, 2018)

“Germany”

Shortening of 德意志 (Déyìzhì), derived from German Deutsch.

Pronunciation

Definitions

德

1. virtue; morality; ethics

   • 德之不脩，學之不講。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     德之不脩，学之不讲。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

     Dé zhī bù xiū, xué zhī bù jiǎng.

     The leaving virtue without proper cultivation, the not thoroughly discussing what is learned.

2. favor; benevolence; kindness

   • 以直報怨，以德報德。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     以直报怨，以德报德。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

     Yǐ zhí bào yuàn, yǐ dé bào dé.

     Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.

3. mind; faith; character

   一心一德  ―  yīxīnyīdé  ―  of one heart and one mind

   • 桀德，惟乃弗作往任，是惟暴德罔後。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     桀德，惟乃弗作往任，是惟暴德罔后。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Documents, circa 7^th – 4^th centuries BCE

     Jié dé, wéi nǎi fú zuò wǎng rèn, shì wéi bàodé wǎng hòu.

     Jie's character was such that he did not follow precedents in making appointments, and therefore his character was violent and ruined the future .

   • 子為政，焉用殺？子欲善，而民善矣。君子之德風，小人之德草。草上之風，必偃。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子为政，焉用杀？子欲善，而民善矣。君子之德风，小人之德草。草上之风，必偃。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zǐ wéizhèng, yān yòng shā? Zǐ yù shàn, ér mín shàn yǐ. Jūnzǐ zhī dé fēng, xiǎorén zhī dé cǎo. Cǎoshàng zhī fēng, bì yǎn.

     Sir, when governing, why use killing? When you strive for goodness, people will be good. The nobles' character is like the wind; the commoners' character is like grass. When the wind blows over the grass, it'll surely bend.

4. Short for 德意志 (Déyìzhì, “Germany”).

   德語／德语  ―  déyǔ  ―  German language

   德美關係／德美关系  ―  dé měi guānxì  ―  Germany-United States relations

   德蘇條約／德苏条约  ―  dé sū tiáoyuē  ―  Nazi–Soviet Pact

Compounds

References

• “德”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 徳)

1. Kyūjitai form of 徳.

Readings

• On (unclassified): とく (toku)
• Kun: おしえ (oshie)

Korean

Hanja

德 (eumhun 덕 덕 (deok deok))

1. Hanja form^? of 덕 (“benevolence; virtue”).

Compounds

• 검덕 (儉德, geomdeok)
• 지덕 (至德, jideok)
• 미덕 (美德, mideok, “virtue”)
• 문덕 (文德, mundeok)

Vietnamese

Han character

德: Hán Nôm readings: đức

Noun

德

1. chữ Hán form of đức (“virtue; righteousness”).

Proper noun

德

1. chữ Hán form of Đức (“Germany”).