Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
德 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
德déGermanyHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德déGermanHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德dévirtueHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德dégoodnessHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德démoralityHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德déethicsHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德dékindnessHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德défavorHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德décharacterHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德dékindHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德déethics, morality; compassion, kindnessHSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德déabbr. for 德國HSK 7, ns, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
德déabbr. for 德國|德国[De2 guo2]HSK 7, unknown, 15 strokes, radical 彳, rank #1162, Very Hard
dé(De2) T2
  1. 1Germany
  2. 2German
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

德dé(De2)

The character 德 (dé) primarily refers to virtue, goodness, and morality, often associated with ethical behavior and moral character. In addition, it serves as an abbreviation for Germany (德国, Déguó), linking it to both cultural and ethical concepts in Chinese society.

Strokes15Radical彳Frequency#1162DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 德 is foundational to Confucianism, emphasizing the importance of ethical behavior and moral integrity in society. It is often invoked in discussions about leadership and personal conduct.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'deer' (sounds like 'dé') standing proudly, symbolizing virtue and kindness in its graceful nature. The character itself has a radical that resembles a person, suggesting morality is deeply rooted in human behavior.

Meanings of 德

dé(De2)
1Germany
2German
Exercise 1 of 3

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 德

德Simplified
15Strokes
彳Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#1162Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

Podcast: 德

JasonAmy

Podcast: 德

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 德

Usage Notes

德 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to discuss ethics and character. Be careful to distinguish between its meanings related to morality and its geographical reference to Germany, as misinterpretation can lead to confusion.

HSK Study Tips

德 is often associated with other HSK Level 3 vocabulary related to personal qualities and moral discussions, such as 善 (shàn, goodness) and 义 (yì, righteousness). Focus on recognizing its usage in phrases and proverbs about morality.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 德 with the word for 'Germany' when speaking quickly. For example, saying '我喜欢德' (Wǒ xǐhuān dé) incorrectly implies liking 'virtue' instead of saying '我喜欢德国' (Wǒ xǐhuān Déguó) for 'I like Germany.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 德

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 德 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 德

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Depicts walking (彳) through life with a straight (直) heart (心) to represent the meaning "virtue". 直 also serves as a phonetic component.

Memory Hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)心
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 德

Depicts walking (彳) through life with a straight (直) heart (心) to represent the meaning "virtue". 直 also serves as a phonetic component.

  1. 1The meaning half心 carries the sense.
  2. 2The giveawayheart
  3. 3On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 德? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 德?

Decomposition of 德

IDS Structure⿰彳⿱⿱十罒⿱一�
德Full Character
=
彳chi4
left
十shi2
top
罒wang3
bottom
一yi1
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 德?

How to say Germany in Chinese

“Germany” in Chinese is德dé

The character 德 (dé) primarily refers to virtue, goodness, and morality, often associated with ethical behavior and moral character. In addition, it serves as an abbreviation for Germany (德国, Déguó), linking it to both cultural and ethical concepts in Chinese society.

When to use 德

德 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to discuss ethics and character. Be careful to distinguish between its meanings related to morality and its geographical reference to Germany, as misinterpretation can lead to confusion.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 德 with the word for 'Germany' when speaking quickly. For example, saying '我喜欢德' (Wǒ xǐhuān dé) incorrectly implies liking 'virtue' instead of saying '我喜欢德国' (Wǒ xǐhuān Déguó) for 'I like Germany.'

Write 德

德

Practice writing 德 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 德

德 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 13 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他对于法国、____国和荷兰的文学了如指掌。

He was well acquainted with the literature of France, Germany and Holland.

Common Confusions with 德

德vs得
dé

Similar pronunciation but different usage.

德vs特
tè

Similar shape but different meaning.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "Germany"?

or

Example Sentences for 德 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他对于法国、德国和荷兰的文学了如指掌。

tā duì yú fǎ guó、 、 dé guó hé hé lán de wén xué le rú zhǐ。

He was well acquainted with the literature of France, Germany and Holland.
2
理查德·张伯伦已经同意接拍《荆棘鸟》的续集。

lǐ chá dé· · zhāng bó lún yǐ jīng tóng yì jiē《 pāi 《 jīng》 jí niǎo 》。

Richard Chamberlain has agreed to make a sequel to "The Thorn Birds".
3
兰德尔这个时候应该正在拿周日的报纸。

lán dé ěr zhè gè shí hòu yīng gāi zhèng zài ná zhōu rì de bào zhǐ。

Randall would just now be getting the Sunday paper.
4
36岁的汉德拉身体健壮，有着21岁小伙子的体能。

36 36 suì de hàn dé lā shēn tǐ jiàn， zhuàng ，21 yǒu zháo 21 suì xiǎo huǒ zǐ。

Xandra is an athletic 36-year-old with a 21-year-old's body.
5
类似劳埃德保险公司的那些丑闻令伦敦名声扫地。

lèi sì láo āi dé bǎo xiǎn gōng sī de nà xiē chǒu wén líng lún dūn míng shēng sǎo dì。

The City's reputation has been sullied by scandals like those at Lloyd's.
6
你知道，瑞士不仅仅只有牛铃声和约德尔调歌声。

nǐ zhī dào， ， ruì shì bù jǐn jǐn zhī yǒu niú líng shēng hé yuē dé ěr tiáo gē。

Switzerland isn't all cow bells and yodelling, you know.
7
快点儿，奥斯蒙德，你闲站着干什么。

kuài diǎn ér， ， ào sī mēng， dé ， nǐ xián zhàn zháo gān。

Come along, Osmond. No sense in your standing around.
8
你好，伯纳德！见到你真高兴。

nǐ hǎo， ， bó nà！ dé ！ jiàn dào nǐ zhēn。

Good day to you, Bernard! It's a positive delight to see you.
9
安德鲁注意到她在愣神，便问道：“你怎么啦？”

ān dé lǔ zhù yì dào tā zài lèng shén， ， biàn wèn：“ dào ：“ nǐ zěn？”

Andrew noticed her abstraction and asked, "What's bothering you?"
10
最高骑士勋位是嘉德勋位。

zuì gāo qí shì xūn wèi shì jiā dé xūn wèi。

The highest Order of Knighthood is the Order of the Garter.
11
我下个月要去德国参加一个国际会议。

Wǒ xià gè yuè yào qù Déguó cānjiā yī gè guójì huìyì.

I am going to Germany next month to attend an international conference.
12
德国的经济在欧洲非常强大。

Déguó de jīngjì zài Ōuzhōu fēicháng qiángdà.

Germany's economy is very strong in Europe.
13
德国的啤酒节每年吸引成千上万的游客。

Déguó de píjiǔ jié měinián xīyǐn chéngqiān shàngwàn de yóukè.

Germany's beer festival attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year.
14
他在德国留学时学会了流利的德语。

Tā zài Déguó liúxué shí xuéhuìle liúlì de Déyǔ.

He learned to speak fluent German while studying in Germany.
15
德国的汽车工业以高质量闻名于世。

Déguó de qìchē gōngyè yǐ gāo zhìliàng wénmíng yú shì.

Germany's automobile industry is renowned worldwide for its high quality.
16
我们计划明年去德国旅行，探索柏林的文化。

Wǒmen jìhuà míngnián qù Déguó lǚxíng, tànsuǒ Bólín de wénhuà.

We plan to travel to Germany next year to explore the culture of Berlin.

Word Family of 德

Words Containing This Character20
德dévirtue
德国Germany德國
道德dàodévirtue
西德West Germany
霍华德Howard (name)霍華德
德州abbr. for 德克薩斯州|德克萨斯州, Texas
费德勒Roger Federer (1981-), Swiss tennis star費德勒
马德里Madrid, capital of Spain馬德裡
肯德基KFC
德克萨斯Texas德克薩斯
韦德Wade (name)韋德
爱德华Edward愛德華
刘德华Andy Lau (1961-), Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actor劉德華
美德měidéUSA and Germany
德语German (language)德語
德国人German person or people德國人
品德pǐndémoral character
理查德Richard (name)
德育moral education
哈罗德Harold, Harald, Harrod (name)哈囉德
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 德 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 德

德 (dé) refers to virtue or ethics, while 德国 (Déguó) specifically means Germany. Understanding this distinction is important for clarity in conversation, especially when discussing topics related to culture or language.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 德?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.