厚道
hoù dao · HSK 7
kind and honest
🤝 厚道 = 厚 (thick) + 道 (way/morals) = thick-hearted morals: kind, honest, generous
厚 means thick or substantial, 道 means way or moral conduct. Together they describe someone whose decency runs deep, not thin: sincere, fair, and generous in dealings with others. Sound-alike anchor: hou dao sounds like how-dow.
厚 — cliff 厂 + 子 over 日 (sun) component
Originally depicted a tall, thick mound or cliff (厂) with layered earth beneath, showing depth and substance. The core meaning 'thick' extended metaphorically to 'generous,' 'deep,' or 'kind-hearted.' Today 厚 commonly means thick (in dimension) or sincere/generous in character.
道 — 辶 (walk) + 首 (head)
Originally a compound of 辶 'walk/movement' and 首 'head', depicting a path one walks while looking ahead. The literal sense 'road, way' extended metaphorically to 'method, doctrine, the Way (Dao)'. This philosophical meaning became central in Daoist and Confucian thought.