Daoist Chinese Characters


Learn what the Chinese characters mean!



The following are selected important Daoist Chinese characters and their definitions.


In Chinese, there are different styles to write a character. This is because the characters developed from Pre-Qin dynasty to today, went though many stages of development.
  • Zhuan Shu (Seal Style)
    • Jia Gu Wen - written on animal bones and tortoise shells
    • Jin Wen - written on bronze wares
    • Zhou Wen
    • Da Zhuan (Big Seal)
    • Xiao Zhuan (Small Seal)
  • Li Shu (Official Style)
  • Kai Shu (Standard Style)
    • Simplified Chinese (China)
    • Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and other countries)
  • Cao Shu (Cursive Style)
  • Xing Shu
The earliest discovered Chinese characters were found written on pre-Qin dynasty tortoise shells and animal bones (Jia Gu Wen) and this led to writing on old bronze wares (Jin Wen). Also popular during this era was Zhou Wen, Da Zhuan (Big Seal), and Xiao Zhuan (Small Seal). All these categories of calligraphy became collectively known as Zhuan Shu (Seal Style). The more popular and standardized Zhuan Shu is Xiao Zhuan, which came about because the first emperor of Qin dynasty tried to gather all the scripts at that time and this led to its creation. Zhuan Shu was difficult to write, so a version was made to make it more efficient which becamed known as Li Shu (Official Style). From Li Shu, calligraphers created a fast cursive style call Cao Shu. Li Shu also spawned the Kai Shu (Standard Style), which is the standard version you see in most Chinese newspapers today. Inbetween Cao Shu and Kai Shu is the Xing Shu, which is inbetween cursive and regular Kai Shu block structure.

The China government in the 1950's simplified the Chinese characters into a version called Simplified Chinese, and the original one then became know as Traditional Chinese (used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and elsewhere). Note that the Chinese characters in brackets used on this site are the Simplified Chinese Kai Shu version.

Since Lao Zi was in the Zhou dynasty (which is pre-Qin dynasty: See Chinese History), the Chinese style that the Dao De Jing was written in was a variant of the Zhuan Shu.


Kai Shu
DescriptionZhuan ShuDescription
dao
"Dao" - Way
"Dao" (way or path) is the main concept from Daoism. Below is the Kai Shu calligraphy style of the character Tao.
dao de jing chinese characters
Tao and First Line of Tao Te Ching
zhuan shu dao chinese character
"Dao" - Way
The same "Dao" written in Zhuan Shu calligraphy style (note the variation of Zhuan Shu writing style for character Tao).
dao de jing
Tao and First Line of Tao Te Ching


Kai ShuDescriptionZhuan ShuDescription
dao chinese character
"Dao" - Way
The Dao De Jing [Tao Te Ching] is broken up into two books, Tao (Way: Ch 1-37) and Te (Virtue: Ch 38-81). Below is Chapter 38 (first chapter of "Te") in Kai Shu (Regular Script) style.
dao de ching chapter 38
Chapter 38 of Tao Te Ching in Kai Shu style
zhuan shu dao chinese character
"Dao" - Way
The Dao De Jing [Tao Te Ching] is the primary scripture of Daoism. Below is Chapter 1 as it was originally written in Zhuan Shu (Seal Script) style.
dao de jing chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Tao Te Ching in Zhuan Shu style
te chinese character
"De" - Virtue
zhuan shu de chinese character
"De" - Virtue
chinese chinese character
"Jing" - Scripture
zhuan shu jing chinese character
"Jing" - Scripture


Kai Shu
Zhuan ShuDescription
lao chinese character
"Lao" - Old
zhuan shu lao chinese character
"Lao" - Old
Lao Zi [Lao Tzu] (sometimes translated as "honorable elder", from "Zi Lao") is the author of the Dao De Jing [Tao Te Ching]. He is also known as Li Er [Li Erh]. He is on the right in the painting below (along with Buddha and Confucius.)
vinegar tasters
Three Vinegar Tasters Painting
tzu chinese character
"Zi" - Child
zhuan shu zi chinese character
"Zi" - Child


Kai Shu
Zhuan ShuDescriptionDescription
li chinese character
"Li" - Plum tree
zhuan shu li chinese character
"Li" - Plum tree
Li Er is the birth name of Lao Zi.
lao zi
Lao Zi Riding Ox
Li Er is the birth name of Lao Zi.
lao zi
Lao Zi Riding Yak
er chinese character
"Er" - Ear
zhuan shu er chinese character
"Er" - Ear


Kai Shu
Zhuan ShuDescription
wu chinese character
"Wu" - Without (Effortless)
zhuan shu wu chinese character
"Wu" - Without (Effortless)
Wu-Wei is one of the main concepts from Daoism
wu wei chinese characters
Wu-Wei Calligraphy
wei chinese character
"Wei" - Action
zhuan shu wei chinese character
"Wei" - Action


Kai Shu
Zhuan ShuDescription
yin chinese character
"Yin" - Feminine or negative principle
zhuan shu yin chinese character
"Yin" - Feminine
Yin and Yang are the negative and positive principles of the universe.
yin yang chinese characters
Yin Yang Calligraphy
yang chinese character
"Yang" - Masculine or positive principle
zhuan shu yang chinese character
"Yang" - Masculine





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