德 is also the simplified spelling of 悳, 惪.

德

Mandarin · pinyin dé#

Meanings · dé

  1. virtue
  2. goodness
  3. morality
  4. ethics
  5. kindness
  6. favor
  7. character
  8. kind
Mandarin · pinyin Dé#

Meanings · Dé

  1. Germany
  2. German
  3. abbr. for 德國 Dé guó
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Characters in this entry

德
dé · ethics, morality, virtue
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2 · de2

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1character link11same-tone records
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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 8 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

dak1

Cantonese word readings for 德. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character

  1. (archaic, literary) grace; a beneficent boon; blessing
  2. virtue; moral excellence; integrity; moral character or conduct; exemplary moral power
  3. merit; good deed; benevolence or kindness shown to others; favor; benefaction; benevolent government
  4. heart; mind; intention; affection; fidelity
  5. (philosophical) inherent potency, efficacy, or endowment
  6. (historical) (~州) De (a former prefecture of imperial China around Dezhou in northwestern Shandong)
  7. (abbreviation, alt-of) short for 德意志 (Déyìzhì): Germany (a country in Central Europe); German
  8. Used in transcription.

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

德 · de2 · De2
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source lines 40,671, 40,670
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source records德 德 [de2] /virtue/goodness/morality/ethics/kindness/favor/character/kind/德 德 [De2] /Germany/German/abbr. for 德國|德国[De2 guo2]/