美德

Meaning of 美德

美德 (měidé) is virtue and moral excellence — 美 (beautiful, good) and 德 (moral character). The foundation of Confucian ethics, which holds that virtue is cultivated through sustained practice.

To say Virtue in Chinese, pronounce 美德 as Měi dé. The marks over the letters show the tones — the pitch contour that distinguishes Mandarin syllables.