The Meaning of shidō [指導] In Japanese

指導
しどう
Romaji: shidō N4

What does 指導 mean?

Translation and Meaning

instruction, guidance, leadership, supervision

Definition

指導 means the act of guiding, instructing, and directing someone to help them learn, improve, or perform tasks. It encompasses formal teaching as well as ongoing mentoring or supervision across educational, athletic, and workplace contexts, where a more experienced person sets goals, demonstrates methods, and provides feedback to foster development.

Type

Noun, suru-verb (名詞, サ変動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Guidance or instruction given to help someone learn or perform tasks
  • Formal leadership or supervision in education, sports, or corporate training
  • Coaching or mentoring that supports long-term development rather than a single lesson

Etymology

指 points or indicates; 導 leads; together they form the sense of directing someone by pointing the way.

Composition

  • 指: pointing or indicating
  • 導: leading or guiding
  • Combined meaning: guiding by pointing the way

Usage

指導 is used in formal and semi-formal contexts to denote instruction, coaching, or supervision. It combines with する to form 指導する to provide guidance, or with 受ける to denote receiving guidance; common in schools, sports coaching, and corporate training programs, and appears in official terms like 学習指導要領 and 指導計画.
💡 Tips
Visualize a teacher pointing the way (指) while guiding students (導); the gesture of pointing plus leading is a simple mnemonic for指導.

Variations

  • 教育 kyōiku — education
  • 指導者 shidōsha — instructor/leader
  • 監督 kantoku — supervision
  • コーチング kōchingu — coaching
  • 導く michibiku — to guide

Example Phrases

  • 職場での指導を受けつつ、私はレポートを書いている。
    Shokuba de no shidō o uketsutsu, watashi wa repōto o kaite iru.
    I am writing a report while receiving guidance at work.
    Lista:
    • 職場での指導を受けつつ、私はレポートを書いている。 (Shokuba de no shidō o uketsutsu, watashi wa repōto o kaite iru.) – a sentence showing doing something while receiving guidance
    The pattern 「〜を受けつつ」 expresses doing something concurrently with receiving 「指導」.
指導