妥善

• Pinyin: tuǒ shàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 妥 = 爪 (hand from above) + 女 (woman); 善 = 羊 (sheep, auspicious) + 口 (mouth) — speaking well, goodness

Meaning

Proper; well-arranged; carefully handled. Thorough and appropriate management that leaves nothing neglected.

More formal than 妥当 and often appears in official or written language. Frequently collocates with 处理, 安置, 解决, 保管. Common in government announcements about handling crises, relocating people, or managing sensitive situations. Implies meticulous care and consideration for all relevant parties.

Examples

1. 政府承诺将妥善安置受灾群众的基本生活。 The government pledged to properly provide for the basic livelihoods of disaster-affected residents.
2. 档案资料应妥善保管，以免遗失或损毁。 Archive materials should be kept in proper storage to prevent loss or damage.
3. 这起劳动争议最终通过调解得到了妥善解决。 This labour dispute was ultimately resolved properly through mediation.

Usage Guide

Context: government, professional, management

Tone: formal, reassuring

Do Say

• 公司将妥善处理此次质量事故，向受影响客户致歉。(The company will handle this quality incident properly and apologise to affected customers.)
• 请将重要证件妥善保管，不要随意放置。(Please keep important documents in safe, proper storage and do not leave them lying around.)

Don't Say

• 在随意的日常口语中用'妥善' (妥善 sounds formal and somewhat bureaucratic — in casual speech use 好好 or 妥当 instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 妥 (proper, settled) + 善 (good, thorough). Together imply something done in a thoroughly good and fitting manner.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal