<p><em>The Dao that can be told is not the eternal and unchanging Dao</em> is already <strong>a</strong> literal translation.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>道可道非常道</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>[The] <em>Dao</em> (道) [that] can (可) [be] told (道) [is] not (非) [the] eternal/unchanging (常) <em>Dao</em> (道)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A text that is written almost deliberately to be interpreted in multiple ways does not have a &quot;<strong>the literal translation</strong>&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-24T07:07:37.063Z
So dao has the meaning "told"?
Lance Pollard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-24T07:08:59.563Z
@LancePollard 道 has a meaning *to say, to speak*. In idiomatic English, someone might phrase that meaning as *be told*.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-24T07:31:38.293Z
Darn, I was hoping there would be a deeper literal meaning with the mirroring.
Lance Pollard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-24T18:09:18.137Z
Real life example of 道 in the sense of "to say": 难道 "Don't tell me that...!"
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-24T22:49:12.203Z
dROOOze, I think a good followup question is _how_ 道 came to have the meaning of "to say" (given that the character originally just had the "path"/"road" meaning)
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-04T03:23:48.943Z
@StumpyJoePete I can't answer philosophically how it came to be, but 道 has dozens of different meanings in classical chinese, and they appear outside of the tao te qing.  The tao te qing is just memorable for very frequently using them back to back to back to back.  I think a semi comparable word is " light" in english, which actually has crazy large number of uses-- you could put them back to back if you wanted to haha.
zagrycha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-24T06:56:46.437Z
2020-06-24T06:56:46.437Z
dROOOze
<blockquote>
<p>道可道・非常道</p>
</blockquote>
<p>this streamlined version is edited by 王弼, in third century.</p>
<p>an older version “馬王堆帛書版” was unearthed in 1970s, in which, the verse is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>道可道也・非恆道也・名可名也・非恆名也</p>
</blockquote>
<p>for comparison, this may be interpreted as:</p>
<p>the tao (道) that can (可) be said (道), is not (非) the permanent (恆) tao (道).</p>
<p>while all “也” are modal particles, for adjusting the mood / tone of the verse.</p>
<p>have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-24T07:41:36.853Z
2020-06-24T07:41:36.853Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>I think this from the Diamond Sutra expresses the same notion.</p>
<p>金刚经 第七品 无得无说分</p>
<p>“须菩提！于意云何？如来得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提耶？如来有所说法耶？</p>
<p>”须菩提言：“如我解佛所说义，无有定法名阿耨多罗三藐三菩提，亦无有定法，如来可说。何以故？如来所说法，皆不可取、不可说、非法、非非法。所以者何？一切圣贤，皆以无为法而有差别。”</p>
<p>(7) &quot;Tell Me, Subhuti. Has the Tathagata attained that Perfect Enlightenment which Transcends Comparisons? If so, is there something about it that the Tathagata can teach?&quot;</p>
<p>Subhuti answered, &quot;As I understand the teaching it cannot be attained or grasped nor can it be taught. Why? Because the Tathagata has said that Truth is not a thing that can be differentiated or contained and therefore Truth cannot be grasped or expressed. The Truth neither is nor is not.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-24T21:51:38.560Z
2020-06-24T21:51:38.560Z
Pedroski
<p>Chi-
(energy, being or life force)</p>
<p>ing
(Being)</p>
<p>Tao te Ching
(The being of being)</p>
<p>But what means “Tao”?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-02T16:55:14.397Z
Tao means "way" or "flow" in my experience.
Lance Pollard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-02T16:03:41.353Z
2024-02-02T16:03:41.353Z
Dane Gregory Meyer
<p>You see this:</p>
<pre><code>道可道非常道
dào kě dào fēicháng dào 
</code></pre>
<p>Often translated as &quot;The Dao that can be told is not the eternal and unchanging Dao&quot;. What is the literal translation?</p>
<p>What's missing is, we have <strong>dào</strong> kě <strong>dào</strong>, a mirroring, which isn't present in English, and the NOT in english, where is that in the Chinese?</p>

<translation><meaning-in-context>
What is the literal translation of the first line of the Tao Te Ching?
# What is the literal translation of the first line of the Tao Te Ching?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-24)

You see this:

```
道可道非常道
dào kě dào fēicháng dào 

```

Often translated as "The Dao that can be told is not the eternal and unchanging Dao". What is the literal translation?

What's missing is, we have **dào** kě **dào**, a mirroring, which isn't present in English, and the NOT in english, where is that in the Chinese?

**Tags:** translation, meaning-in-context


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-24. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

*The Dao that can be told is not the eternal and unchanging Dao* is already **a** literal translation.

> 道可道非常道

> [The] *Dao* (道) [that] can (可) [be] told (道) [is] not (非) [the] eternal/unchanging (常) *Dao* (道)

A text that is written almost deliberately to be interpreted in multiple ways does not have a "**the literal translation**".

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So dao has the meaning "told"?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 道 has a meaning *to say, to speak*. In idiomatic English, someone might phrase that meaning as *be told*.  
> **username_0**: Darn, I was hoping there would be a deeper literal meaning with the mirroring.  
> **username_2**: Real life example of 道 in the sense of "to say": 难道 "Don't tell me that...!"  
> **username_3**: username_1, I think a good followup question is _how_ 道 came to have the meaning of "to say" (given that the character originally just had the "path"/"road" meaning)  
> **username_4**: @username_3 I can't answer philosophically how it came to be, but 道 has dozens of different meanings in classical chinese, and they appear outside of the tao te qing.  The tao te qing is just memorable for very frequently using them back to back to back to back.  I think a semi comparable word is " light" in english, which actually has crazy large number of uses-- you could put them back to back if you wanted to haha.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-06-24. Score: 2

> 道可道・非常道

this streamlined version is edited by 王弼, in third century.

an older version “馬王堆帛書版” was unearthed in 1970s, in which, the verse is:

> 道可道也・非恆道也・名可名也・非恆名也

for comparison, this may be interpreted as:

the tao (道) that can (可) be said (道), is not (非) the permanent (恆) tao (道).

while all “也” are modal particles, for adjusting the mood / tone of the verse.

have fun :)


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-06-24. Score: 0

I think this from the Diamond Sutra expresses the same notion.

金刚经 第七品 无得无说分

“须菩提！于意云何？如来得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提耶？如来有所说法耶？

”须菩提言：“如我解佛所说义，无有定法名阿耨多罗三藐三菩提，亦无有定法，如来可说。何以故？如来所说法，皆不可取、不可说、非法、非非法。所以者何？一切圣贤，皆以无为法而有差别。”

(7) "Tell Me, Subhuti. Has the Tathagata attained that Perfect Enlightenment which Transcends Comparisons? If so, is there something about it that the Tathagata can teach?"

Subhuti answered, "As I understand the teaching it cannot be attained or grasped nor can it be taught. Why? Because the Tathagata has said that Truth is not a thing that can be differentiated or contained and therefore Truth cannot be grasped or expressed. The Truth neither is nor is not.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2024-02-02. Score: -1

Chi-
(energy, being or life force)

ing
(Being)

Tao te Ching
(The being of being)

But what means “Tao”?

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Tao means "way" or "flow" in my experience.  

---

