道理

Chinese

		direction; way; method direction; way; method; road; path; principle; truth; reason; skill; Tao (of Taoism); a measure word; to say; to speak; to talk	to manage; to heed; to put in order to manage; to heed; to put in order; reason; logic; science; inner principle or structure
trad. (道理)		道	理
simp. ^#(道理)		道	理

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): dàolǐ
(Zhuyin): ㄉㄠˋ ㄌㄧˇ
(Chengdu, SP): dao⁴ ni³
Cantonese (Jyutping): dou⁶ lei⁵
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): tho-lî
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): tǒ-lí / tō-lí
(Teochew, Peng'im): dao⁶ li²
Wu (Wiktionary): dau li (T3)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: dàolǐ → dàoli (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄠˋ ㄌㄧˇ → ㄉㄠˋ ˙ㄌㄧ (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Tongyong Pinyin: dàoli̊
  - Wade–Giles: tao⁴-li⁵
  - Yale: dàu-li
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: daw.lii
  - Palladius: даоли (daoli)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɑʊ̯⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ → /tɑʊ̯⁵¹ li¹/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: dao⁴ ni³
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: daoli
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tau²¹³ ni⁵³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: dou⁶ lei⁵
  - Yale: douh léih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dou⁶ lei⁵
  - Guangdong Romanization: dou⁶ léi⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tou̯²² lei̯¹³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: tho-lî
  - Hakka Romanization System: to li´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: to⁴ li¹
  - Sinological IPA: /tʰo⁵⁵ li²⁴/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tǒ-lí
  - Tâi-lô: tǒ-lí
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /to²² li⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tō-lí
  - Tâi-lô: tō-lí
  - Phofsit Daibuun: doixlie
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /tɤ³³⁻²¹ li⁴¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /to³³⁻¹¹ li⁵³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /to²²⁻²¹ li⁵³/
  - IPA (Singapore): /to²²⁻²¹ li⁴²/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: dao⁶ li²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tău lí
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tau³⁵⁻¹¹ li⁵²/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: dau li (T3)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /d̥ɔ²² li⁴⁴/

Noun

道理

reason; argument; sense; logic
不講道理／不讲道理 ― bù jiǎng dàolǐ ― to be unreasonable
你說得有道理。／你说得有道理。 ― Nǐ shuō de yǒu dàolǐ. ― You have a point.
- 其實這種道理，到了現在，他們也該早已懂得，…… [MSC, trad.]
  其实这种道理，到了现在，他们也该早已懂得，…… [MSC, simp.]
  From: 1918: Lu Xun, A Madman's Diary (狂人日記)
  qíshí zhè zhǒng dàolǐ, dào le xiànzài, tāmen yě gāi zǎo yǐ dǒngde,...... [Pinyin]
  Actually, they should have long since understood this kind of reasoning...
principle; rule; truth; philosophy
人生道理 ― rénshēng dàolǐ ― philosophies of life
這句話的道理你應該清楚。 [MSC, trad.]
这句话的道理你应该清楚。 [MSC, simp.]
Zhè jù huà de dàolǐ nǐ yīnggāi qīngchǔ. [Pinyin]
You should understand the principle contained in this sentence.
- 道理無窮，學者先要不得有自足心。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
  道理无穷，学者先要不得有自足心。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
  From: Various editors, Collected Conversations of Master Zhu, c. 13^th century CE
  Dàolǐ wúqióng, xuézhě xiān yào bùdé yǒu zìzú xīn. [Pinyin]
  Truth is infinite; a scholar cannot afford to have a complacent attitude.
way; plan
- 明日先把案內人證提來，再作道理。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
  明日先把案内人证提来，再作道理。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
  From: 1907 CE, Liu E, The Travels of Lao Can
  Míngrì xiān bǎ àn nèi rénzhèng tí lái, zài zuò dàolǐ. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this example)

Synonyms

(reason):

edit

Synonyms of 道理

原因 (yuányīn)
因由 (yīnyóu)
因端 (Min Nan)
因致端 (Min Nan)
基因 (jīyīn) (dated)
成因 (chéngyīn)
所以然 (suǒyǐrán)
根由 (gēnyóu)
理由 (lǐyóu)

肇因 (zhàoyīn)
言因 (Anxi Hokkien)
起因 (qǐyīn)
來由／来由 (láiyóu)
張本／张本 (zhāngběn) (literary)
緣故／缘故 (yuángù)
緣由／缘由 (yuányóu)
緣起／缘起 (yuánqǐ)
關係／关系 (guānxì)

(principle):

edit

公理 (gōnglǐ) (commonly acknowledged principle)
原理 (yuánlǐ)

定理 (dìnglǐ)
原則／原则 (yuánzé)

(way):

edit

Synonyms of 道理

主意 (zhǔyì)
作法 (zuòfǎ)
做法 (zuòfǎ)
套套 (tàotao) (colloquial, Jin)
工具 (gōngjù) (figurative)
手段 (shǒuduàn)
措施 (cuòshī)
方式 (fāngshì)
方法 (fāngfǎ)
法子 (fǎzi) (colloquial)
法度 (Min Nan)
渠道 (qúdào)
管道 (guǎndào) (figurative, especially of communication)
行法 (xíngfǎ) (literary)
路子 (lùzi)
道道 (Jin)

卯竅／卯窍 (Sichuan)
對策／对策 (duìcè)
竅門／窍门 (qiàomén)
竅門兒／窍门儿 (qiàoménr)
訣竅／诀窍 (juéqiào)
路徑／路径 (lùjìng)
蹊徑／蹊径 (xījìng) (literary, figurative)
辦法／办法 (bànfǎ)
途徑／途径 (tújìng)
進路／进路 (jìnlù)
道術／道术 (dàoshù) (literary)
門徑／门径 (ménjìng)
門路／门路 (ménlù)
門道／门道 (méndao)
門頭／门头 (méntóu) (literary, figurative)
頭路／头路 (tóulù) (colloquial)

Derived terms

有道理 (yǒu dàolǐ)

講道理／讲道理 (jiǎng dàolǐ)

Related terms

情理 (qínglǐ)
真諦／真谛 (zhēndì)
真理 (zhēnlǐ)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (道理):

→ Japanese: 道理(どうり) (dōri)
→ Korean: 도리(道理) (dori)
→ Vietnamese: đạo lí (道理)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
道	理
どう Grade: 2	り Grade: 2
on’yomi

Pronunciation

On’yomi

(Tokyo) どーり [dòóríꜜ] (Odaka – [3])[1]
IPA^(key): [do̞ːɾʲi]

Noun

道(どう)理(り) • (dōri)

reason, logic, sense, principle
彼(かれ)の意見(いけん)は道理(どうり)に適(かな)っていない。
Kare no iken wa dōri ni kanatte inai.
His opinion doesn't make sense.

Derived terms

道(どう)理(り)で (dōri de)

References

1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
道	理

Noun

道理 • (dori) (hangeul 도리)

Hanja form^? of 도리 (“duty; way, method, means”).

Vietnamese

Hán tự in this term
道	理

Noun

道理

chữ Hán form of đạo lí (“moral code, principles, standards; moral philosophy”).

[NHK-1] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN