noun
road; path; street; lane; passage
Physical thoroughfare for walking, driving, or traveling; the most basic concrete sense.
この道をまっすぐ行くと駅に出ます。
If you go straight along this road, you'll reach the station.
山道は狭くて歩きにくい。
The mountain path is narrow and hard to walk on.
noun
The course taken to reach a destination, or the distance/travel itself. Often used with verbs like 行く, 来る, 帰る.
会社までの道を地図で調べた。
I looked up the route to the office on a map.
長い道のりだったが、ようやく着いた。
It was a long journey, but we finally arrived.
noun
road (to a goal); course; path
Metaphorical path toward an abstract goal such as victory, success, or recovery.
優勝への道は険しい。
The road to victory is steep.
彼は医者への道を歩み始めた。
He started on the path to becoming a doctor.
noun
way of living; moral path; teachings; doctrine
A way of life, proper conduct, or a set of teachings, especially Confucian or Buddhist. Often appears in compounds like 武士道 or 仏道.
彼は自分の道を貫いた。
He stuck to his own way of life.
茶道は単なる作法ではなく、精神修養の道だ。
The way of tea is not just etiquette but a path of spiritual cultivation.
noun
A domain of study, profession, or expertise. Common in phrases like その道の専門家.
彼は医学の道に進んだ。
He went into the field of medicine.
その道のプロに教わった。
I learned from a professional in that field.
noun
A way or method of doing something; often used when a solution or approach is being discussed.
問題を解決する道を探している。
We are looking for a way to solve the problem.
それしか道はない。
That's the only way.
Literary variant for a path or trail; uncommon standalone.
Native Japanese word. The kanji 道 is a pictograph combining 'head' and 'movement', originally meaning a path or road, and later extended to abstract ways and doctrines.