How to Write 德 (dé) — Meaning “virtue; morality”

Think of the mnemonic: 'Ten eyes (十目) see a straight (直) heart (心) stepping (彳) on the path of virtue.' This breaks the right side into 十 (ten) and 目 (eye) over 一 (one) and 心 (heart), helping you recall the many strokes.

Write the left radical 彳 first as two strokes, then the right side: start with 十 (horizontal then vertical), then 目 (as four strokes: vertical, horizontal, horizontal, horizontal), then 一 (horizontal), then 心 (with its unique stroke order: dot, hook, dot, dot). A common mistake is making the top part too narrow or forgetting the extra horizontal stroke under 目.

德 (dé) has the components 十, 目, 一, 心 on the right, giving 15 strokes. 徭 (yáo) has a right side resembling 爫 and 缶 (a jar), meaning forced labor. 微 (wēi) features the right side 微, containing 彡 (bristle) and 几 (table), meaning tiny or subtle. Visually, 德 is more complex and square, while 徭 and 微 have distinct shapes.

德 appears in key moral terms like 道德 (dào dé, morality) and 品德 (pǐn dé, moral character). It is also used in the country name 德国 (Germany, literally 'virtue country'). In Chinese culture, 德 is a central Confucian concept emphasizing inner moral integrity and virtuous action.

Common words containing 德 include: 道德 (dào dé) — Morality / Ethics; 德国 (dé guó) — Germany; 品德 (pǐn dé) — moral character; morality.