How to write 导 (dǎo) — Stroke Order, Radical & Practice

dǎo to direct, to guide, to lead, to conduct 6 strokes · Radical 寸 (inch) · HSK 4 required writing character

Pronunciation & meaning

Pronounced dǎo.

Stroke Order & Practice

Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.

1 2 3 4 5 6
导 — 6 strokes, numbered in writing order. 笔顺图(数字为下笔顺序)。

Decomposition

导 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Top + Bottom. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.

导 =
巳 top the hours from 9 to 11
寸 bottom inch

Radical

The radical of 导 is 寸 — meaning inch. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.

Other HSK 4 characters that share this radical: 尊.

How the character is built

导 is an ideographic compound — its meaning is suggested by the combination of its parts rather than by sound. A hand 寸 pointing the way to someplace 巳.

HSK 4 Words Containing 导

导游 dǎoyóu tour guide; to guide tourists
导游带我们参观了长城。
Dǎoyóu dài wǒmen cānguān le Chángchéng.
The tour guide took us to visit the Great Wall.

Seen in the Real Exams / 真题例句

导 appears in 20 questions across the 19 mock & official HSK 4 exams on this site. Real exam sentences using it:

我姓李,是各位的导游。
From Mock Exam 03 →

Tasks Featuring 导 / 相关任务

Words containing 导 appear in these official HSK 4 task scenarios — study the character in context:

📚 谈论交通出行
Transportation & Travel · 导游

FAQ

What does 导 mean in Chinese?

导 (dǎo) means to direct, to guide, to lead, to conduct. It is one of the 150 characters required for the HSK 4 writing section.

How many strokes does 导 have?

导 is written in 6 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 导?

The radical of 导 is 寸 (inch). Other HSK 4 characters with the same radical include 尊.

What is the pinyin for 导?

导 is pronounced dǎo.

What HSK 4 words use 导?

In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 导 appears in 1 word, including 导游 (dǎoyóu). See the full list above.

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