What is the Kanji for "Lead" and "Guide"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Lead" and "Guide", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Lead" and "Guide" is "導".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Michibi".

Its onyomi reading is "Dou".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "道" means "Way" and can be read as "Dou" and "Michi". And The kanji "寸" means "Measurement" and can be read as "Sun".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "導" mean in japanese?

"導" means "Lead" and "Guide".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Fifth Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N2 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

導入: "Introduction". The verbal noun '導入 (どうにゅう)' means 'introduction'. This term is used to refer to the act of introducing something new or bringing something into use for the first time. It can be used in various contexts, such as introducing a new product, a new policy, or a new idea. For example: The introduction of the new software was well-received - (新しいソフトウェアの導入は良く受け入れられた). The company plans to introduce a new line of products - (この会社は新製品ラインの導入を計画している).

導く: "Guide". The Japanese verb '導く (みちびく)' means 'to guide'. This verb is used to express the action of leading, directing or guiding someone or something towards a particular destination or goal. It can be used in both physical and metaphorical contexts. For example: The teacher guided the students to the library - (先生は生徒たちを図書館に導いた). Wisdom guides the mind - (知恵が心を導く).

指導: "Guidance". The verbal noun '指導 (しどう)' means 'guidance'. This word refers to the act of providing direction, instruction, or supervision to help someone learn or improve. It is often used in educational or professional contexts to describe the process of teaching, mentoring, or leading others. For example: The teacher provided guidance to the students - (先生は生徒に指導をした). The manager gave guidance on the new project - (上司は新しいプロジェクトについて指導した).

誘導: "Guidance". The noun '誘導 (ゆうどう)' means 'guidance'. This word refers to the act of directing, leading, or showing the way to someone. It can be used in contexts such as directing traffic, guiding a new employee, or providing instructions. For example: The security guard provided guidance to the lost visitor - (警備員が迷子の来客に誘導した). The teacher's guidance helped the student succeed - (先生の誘導で生徒は成功した).

主導: "Leadership". The noun '主導 (しゅどう)' means 'leadership'. It refers to the act of directing, guiding or taking charge of a situation or group of people. This word conveys the idea of taking an active and influential role in determining the course of events or decisions. For example: She took a leadership role in the organization - (彼女は組織の主導的役割を果たした). The company maintains a strong leadership in the industry - (この会社は業界をリードしている).

半導体: "Semiconductor". The noun '半導体 (はんどうたい)' refers to a semiconductor, which is a material that has electrical properties that are intermediate between those of conductors and insulators. Semiconductors are widely used in electronic devices, such as transistors, integrated circuits, and solar cells. They are the fundamental building blocks of modern electronics and have enabled the development of many technological innovations. For example: Semiconductors are essential for computers - (半導体はコンピューターに不可欠だ). Silicon is a common semiconductor material - (シリコンは一般的な半導体材料だ).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "ど" is read as "do". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". The hiragana "み" is read as "mi". The hiragana "ち" is read as "chi". And The hiragana "び" is read as "bi".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.