dào dé kùn jìngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
ethical dilemma
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-3f1c5901cd4a13a6. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

道德困境 道德困境 [dao4 de2 kun4 jing4] /ethical dilemma/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

  • 道
    dào

    road / path (CL:條|条[tiáo],股[gǔ]) / (bound form) way / reason / principle / (bound form) a skill / an art / a specialization / (Daoism) the Way / the Dao / to say (introducing a direct quotation, as in a novel) / (bound form) to express / to extend (polite words) / classifier for long thin things (rivers, cracks, shadows etc), barriers (walls, doors etc), questions (in an exam etc), commands, courses in a meal, steps in a process / (old) circuit (administrative division)

  • 德
    dé

    virtue / goodness / morality / ethics / kindness / favor / character / kind

    Dé

    Germany / German / abbr. for 德國|德国[Dé guó]

  • 困
    kùn

    to trap / to surround / hard-pressed / stranded / destitute / sleepy / tired

  • 境
    jìng

    border / place / condition / boundary / circumstances / territory

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.