善

• Pinyin: shàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 善 = 羊 (sheep/goat, auspicious symbol) + 誩 (two mouths = harmonious words) = beautiful and auspicious speech = good/virtuous/benevolent

Meaning

Good, kind, or virtuous; morally excellent or benevolent in nature and conduct. One of the foundational ethical concepts in Chinese classical thought.

Core concept in Confucianism and Buddhism. 至善 (supreme goodness), 行善 (to do good), 善恶 (good and evil), 善有善报 (good deeds bring good rewards). Mencius's 性善论 holds that human nature is fundamentally good. In Buddhism, 善业 means meritorious action. Also used as an adverb meaning 'well' or 'skilfully': 善加利用 (make good use of).

Examples

1. 在中国传统哲学体系中，善不仅是个人道德修养的最高追求，也是维系社会伦理秩序与实现政治治理理想的根本基础。 In traditional Chinese philosophy, goodness is not only the highest pursuit of personal moral cultivation but also the fundamental basis for maintaining ethical order in society and realizing ideals of political governance.
2. 孟子的性善论主张人天生具备仁、义、礼、智四种道德萌芽，后天的教育与环境决定了这些善端能否充分展开。 Mencius’s theory that human nature is inherently good holds that people are born with four moral sprouts—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom—and that education and environment determine whether these seeds of goodness can fully develop.
3. 这位老人一生行善积德，不仅资助了数十名贫困学生完成学业，还长期参与社区志愿服务，赢得了街坊邻里的广泛敬重。 This elderly man spent his life doing good deeds and accumulating virtue; he not only funded dozens of impoverished students to complete their education, but also participated in community volunteer service for years, earning widespread respect from his neighbors.

Usage Guide

Context: philosophy, ethics, religion, classical literature

Tone: elevated

Do Say

• 儒家的仁政理想要求执政者以善治国，通过推行教化、减轻赋役、关怀民生来赢得民心，而非单纯依靠法律惩罚和军事威慑来维持统治秩序。(The Confucian ideal of benevolent governance requires rulers to govern with goodness — winning the hearts of the people through moral education, reducing taxes and labour obligations, and attending to popular welfare — rather than relying purely on legal punishment and military deterrence.)
• 这部由著名伦理学家撰写的专著系统梳理了善这一概念在西方哲学传统中的演变历程，并与儒家、道家、佛教的伦理框架进行了深入的比较研究。(This monograph by a renowned ethicist systematically traces the evolution of the concept of goodness in the Western philosophical tradition and conducts an in-depth comparative study with the ethical frameworks of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.)

Don't Say

• 他是一个善的人 — 善 as a standalone prenominal adjective sounds archaic in modern Chinese; say 他是一个善良的人 or 他品行高尚 instead; 善 is more natural as a predicative or in classical compounds

Origin & History

善 = 羊 (sheep/goat, symbol of auspiciousness and beauty in early Chinese culture) + 誩 (two mouths = harmonious speech) = beautiful, harmonious, auspicious = good/virtuous/kind

Cultural Context

Era: Classical to modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal