adjective HSK 5
dào
immoral · unethical · amoral

Meaning

不道德 describes behavior, actions, or people that violate moral standards or ethical principles. It combines the negation 不 with 道德 (morality/ethics) to indicate something that goes against accepted moral norms. This term is commonly used in discussions of ethics, social issues, and personal conduct.

Usage

不道德 is used in formal and informal contexts to criticize actions or behaviors that are considered morally wrong. It's frequently found in media discussions, academic writing, and everyday conversations about social issues. The term carries a strong negative connotation and is often used to condemn practices like corruption, dishonesty, or exploitation.

Examples

  1. 01
    欺骗消费者是非常不道德的行为。
    piàn xiāo fèi zhě shì fēi cháng dào de xíng wéi.
    Deceiving consumers is very immoral behavior.
  2. 02
    不道德的手段赚钱迟早会受到惩罚。
    Yòng dào de shǒu duàn zhuàn qián chí zǎo huì shòu dào chéng .
    Making money through unethical means will sooner or later be punished.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 不道德的行为
    dào de xíng wéi
    immoral behavior
  • 不道德的手段
    dào de shǒu duàn
    unethical means
  • 不道德现象
    dào xiàn xiàng
    immoral phenomenon

Antonyms

Origin

道德 (morality) is an ancient Chinese concept combining 道 (the way/path) and 德 (virtue), central to Confucian philosophy. Adding the negation 不 creates the opposite meaning.

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