徳

音読おんよみ: トク

訓読くんよみ: none *

画数かくすう: 14 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 彳（ぎょうにんべん）

Meaning

Virtue, Ethics, Benevolence — This character embodies moral excellence, ethical conduct, and human decency. It is often used in expressions relating to good character and moral teaching.

  • 道徳どうとく — ethics, morality
  • 美徳びとく — virtue
  • 徳とく — virtue, benevolence
  • 徳川とくがわ — Tokugawa (surname)
  • 恩徳おんとく — benevolence, favor
  • 報徳ほうとく — reward for virtue

The kanji 徳 consists of 彳 (step/go radical), 直 (honesty), and 心 (heart). It suggests a heart that walks the path of righteousness — the embodiment of virtue and integrity. Originally, it reflected moral teaching or inner goodness cultivated through proper conduct.

道徳どうとくの授業じゅぎょうでは 徳とくについて学まなぶ。
In ethics class, we learn about virtue.

彼かれは 高たかい徳とくを持もつ人ひとだ。
He is a person of great virtue.

🎧 The on-yomi トク (toku) appears in many common compound words relating to virtue, morality, and ethics. The kun-yomi reading is rarely used independently in modern Japanese.

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