Recognize 道 in words such as 道 and 水道; connect each whole word with its reading and meaning.

The idea

Common Chinese-derived readings include ドウ. Japanese-origin readings include みち. Compare 道 (みち) with 水道 (すいどう). 道 has 12 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
道みちroad; way
水道すいどうwater supply; tap
歩道ほどうsidewalk; pavement
片道かたみちone way

Examples

  • 道みちの左側ひだりがわを歩あるきます。I walk on the left side of the road.
  • 地図ちずで道みちを調しらべます。I look up the route on a map.
  • 水道すいどうの水みずを飲のみます。I drink tap water.
  • この道みちは長ながくて広ひろいです。This road is long and wide.
  • 片道かたみちですか、往復おうふくですか。One way or return?
  • 歩道ほどうをゆっくり歩あるきましょう。Let’s walk slowly along the pavement.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

In these examples, the word 道 is みち, but 道 is どう in 水道 and 歩道; 片道 means a one-way trip. Compare 道 with 首: look for 辶 in 道.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 道 in hiragana.

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    みち

    道 is read みち; the whole word means road; way.

  2. Write the reading of 水道 in hiragana.

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    すいどう

    水道 is read すいどう; the whole word means water supply; tap.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: 歩＿（ほどう）.

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    道

    道 completes 歩道, read ほどう; the whole word means sidewalk; pavement.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 道 from memory, and read 道 and 水道 aloud. Make a sentence, then check the readings and meanings.