厚道

• Pinyin: hòu dao
• Hanzi breakdown: 厚 = 厂 (cliff radical) + 日 + 子 — thick; generous; 道 = 辶 (movement) + 首 (head) — way; principle

Meaning

Honest and kind; generous and sincere. Describing a person of genuine goodwill, moral integrity, and magnanimous character.

A deeply valued character trait in Chinese culture, 厚道 implies a person who treats others with sincerity and generosity rather than calculating personal gain. Often used as high praise. Its opposite is 刻薄 (mean-spirited; petty).

Examples

1. 邻居们都说他是个厚道人，遇到困难从不斤斤计较，总是大方相助。 The neighbors all say he’s an honest, kind person—when others run into trouble, he never nitpicks and always helps generously.
2. 这家老店几十年来以厚道的经营作风著称，从不以次充好，赢得了口口相传的好口碑。 This old shop has been known for decades for doing business with integrity, never passing off inferior goods as high quality, and has earned a great word-of-mouth reputation.
3. 她虽然受过不少委屈，但仍以厚道的态度对待那些曾经伤害过她的人。 Although she’s suffered a lot of unfair treatment, she still treats even those who once hurt her with kindness and decency.

Usage Guide

Context: character description, social relations, business ethics, praise

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 做生意最重要的是厚道，只有真诚对待每一位客户，不弄虚作假，才能在竞争激烈的市场中建立起长久的信誉。(The most important thing in business is being honest and generous — only by sincerely treating every customer without deception can one build lasting credibility in a competitive market.)
• 他在公司裁员期间主动为被辞退的同事提供推荐信和求职建议，这种厚道的做法让所有人都深为感动。(During the company's redundancies, he voluntarily provided reference letters and job-seeking advice to dismissed colleagues — this generous and sincere gesture deeply moved everyone.)

Don't Say

• 厚道 to describe institutional or policy-level generosity — it is a personal character trait; for organisations or policies use 优惠 (favourable), 宽松 (lenient), or 公正 (fair) instead

Origin & History

厚 (thick; generous; substantial) + 道 (way; moral principle) — one whose moral way is generous and substantial

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal