德 Virtue in Chinese (dé)

Dictionary Summary

德 (dé) means Germany; German; virtue. Simplified form has 15 strokes under radical 彳.

Pinyin & Tonedé (Tone 2)

Simplified / Trad.德 / 德

Radical彳

Total Strokes15 strokes

StructureLeft–Right (彳 + 十 + 罒 + 一 + 心)

Unicode / LevelU+5FB7 · HSK 4

Native Naming & Tattoo Safety Review

🪪 Using “德” in a Chinese Name · Good with Pairing (Masculine-leaning)

Dignified and classical, common in formal names (e.g., 德润, 怀德). Keep in mind 德 is also the shorthand character for Germany (德国), so choose a smooth pairing.

✒️ Using “德” for a Tattoo · Safe & Classic

Deeply anchored in Daoist and Confucian heritage (道德经). Visually commanding in brush calligraphy.

Character Etymology & CC-CEDICT Meanings

Origin & Visual Logic: Combines walking/conduct (彳) with an upright eye and heart (心): walking a straight path with an upright heart.

Traditional / Simplified	Pinyin	CC-CEDICT Definitions
德 / 德	Dé	Germany; German
德 / 德	dé	virtue; goodness; morality

Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).

Common Words & Idioms Using “德”

Chinese Word	Pinyin	English Meaning
道德	dàodé	morality and ethics
品德	pǐndé	moral character
美德	měidé	virtue; fine quality

English Names Using “德” in Our Curated Recommendations

See how native speakers pair 德 (dé) into modern Chinese names:

苏德谦Sebastian (Sū Dé qiān)何德森Hudson (Hé Dé sēn)安德陆Andrew (Ān Dé lù)罗明德Robert (Luó Míng dé)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does the Chinese character "德" (dé) have?

"德" has 15 strokes in Simplified Chinese. Its primary dictionary radical is 彳, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.

Is "德" good to use in a real Chinese name?

Rating: Good with Pairing (Masculine-leaning). Dignified and classical, common in formal names (e.g., 德润, 怀德). Keep in mind 德 is also the shorthand character for Germany (德国), so choose a smooth pairing.