小道

xiǎodào

noun #14,662

Meanings

1 path; trail; bypath
2 minor arts (Confucian term for lesser professions)
3 bribery as a means of achieving a goal

Characters

road; way; principle

Examples

我们沿着山间小道走。

Wǒmen yánzhe shānjiān xiǎodào zǒu.

We walked along the mountain trail.

他听到了一些小道消息。

Tā tīng dào le yīxiē xiǎodào xiāoxi.

He heard some rumors through the grapevine.

Tips

usage

小道消息 (xiǎodào xiāoxi) is a very common expression meaning 'gossip, rumor, grapevine news' — literally 'small-path information,' i.e. unofficial channels.

Stroke Order

小 xiǎo

道 dào