Dictionary › 善

善

shàn

HSK 5 Character

What 善 means

1. good (virtuous)
2. benevolent
3. well-disposed
4. good at sth
5. to improve or perfect

Example sentences

• 善待安。
  Be nice to Ann.
• 友善点。
  Be nice.
• 他很善忘。
  Tā hěn shànwàng.
  He is apt to forget.
• 善待老人。
  Be kind to old people.
• 多多益善。
  The more, the better.
• 他天性善良。
  Tā tiānxìng shànliáng.
  He's good by nature.

Words starting with 善

• 善良shàn liánggood and honest; kindhearted
• 善于shàn yúto be good at; to be adept at
• 善意shàn yìgoodwill; benevolence; kindness
• 善恶shàn ègood and evil; good versus evil
• 善解人意shàn jiě rén yìto be good at understanding others (idiom)
• 善心shàn xīnkindness; benevolence; philanthropy
• 善后shàn hòuto deal with the aftermath (arising from an accident); funeral arrangements; reparations
• 善事shàn shìgood deeds
• 善人shàn rénphilanthropist; charitable person; well-doer
• 善用shàn yòngto be good at using (sth); to put (sth) to good use
• 善行shàn xínggood actions
• 善本shàn běnold book; good book; reliable book
• 善变shàn biànfickle; mercurial; changeable
• 善款shàn kuǎncontributions; donations
• 善有善报shàn yǒu shàn bàovirtue has its rewards (idiom); one good turn deserves another
• 善因shàn yīn(Buddhism) good karma
• 善存Shàn cúnCentrum (brand)
• 善待shàn dàito treat well
• 善思shàn sīthoughtfulness; wholesome thinking (Buddhism)
• 善感shàn gǎnsensitive; emotional
• 善策shàn cèwise policy; best policy
• 善终shàn zhōngto die naturally with dignity; to pass away peacefully…
• 善能shàn néngto be good at
• 善举shàn jǔmeritorious deed; benevolent act

Words containing 善

• 改善gǎi shànto make better; to improve
• 完善wán shàn(of systems, facilities etc) comprehensive; well-developed; excellent
• 妥善tuǒ shànappropriate; proper
• 慈善cí shànbenevolent; charitable
• 友善yǒu shànfriendly
• 不善bù shànbad; ill; not good at
• 和善hé shàngood-natured
• 行善xíng shànto do good works; to be merciful
• 多愁善感duō chóu shàn gǎn(idiom) emotionally sensitive and prone to melancholy
• 心地善良xīn dì shàn liángkindhearted; good-natured
• 伪善wěi shànhypocritical
• 真善美zhēn shàn měitruth, goodness and beauty
• 尽善尽美jìn shàn jìn měiperfect (idiom); perfection; the best of all possible worlds; as good as it gets
• 循循善诱xún xún shàn yòuto guide patiently and systematically (idiom)
• 与人为善yǔ rén wéi shànto be of service to others; to help others; benevolent
• 多多益善duō duō yì shànthe more the better
• 慈善家cí shàn jiāphilanthropist; humanitarian; charity donor
• 亲善qīn shàngoodwill
• 乏善可陈fá shàn kě chén(idiom) to be nothing to write home about
• 能歌善舞néng gē shàn wǔcan sing and dance (idiom); fig. a person of many talents
• 慈眉善目cí méi shàn mù(idiom) kind-looking; benevolent-looking
• 性善xìng shànthe theory of Mencius that people are by nature good
• 美善měi shànbeautiful and good
• 圣善shèng shànsupreme goodness; (respectful term for sb's mother)

Characters that look like 善

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 喜xǐto be fond of; to like; to enjoy
• 募mùto canvass for contributions; to collect; to raise; to recruit; to enlist
• 兽shòubeast; animal; beastly
• 屡lǚtime and again; repeatedly; frequently
• 晷guǐsundial
• 蓦mòleap on or over; suddenly

Sounds the same

Read shàn, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 扇fan; sliding, hinged or detachable flat part of sth; classifier for doors, windows etc
• 擅without authority; to usurp; to arrogate to oneself
• 膳meals
• 禅to abdicate
• 缮to repair; to mend; to rewrite
• 鳝Chinese yellow eel
• 赡to support; to provide for
• 蟺earthworm
• 汕bamboo fish trap; used in names of places connected with Shantou 汕头
• 讪to mock; to ridicule; to slander
• 疝hernia
• 嬗(literary) to go through successive changes; to evolve