善

善 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+9, 12 strokes, cangjie input 廿土廿口 (TGTR) or 廿廿口 (TTR), four-corner 8060₅, composition ⿻羊⿱䒑口 or ⿳𦍌䒑口)

• 僐, 𠾺, 墡, 嫸, 𢢆, 𢵈, 㵛, 𮥣, 𨗚, 𪱋, 橏, 𣩧, 㷽, 𤩕, 𥛶, 膳, 𦏎, 𥊳, 磰, 𮃬, 𮖯, 𫅜, 繕(缮), 𦗢, 蟮, 𭀺, 𧬆, 𮜖, 𨣁, 𬹎, 𫅞, 鐥(䦅), 𡅐, 饍, 𩦐, 𫅡, 鱔(鳝), 𪍶, 𭨔
• 𡆃, 𠟤, 鄯, 𭟽, 㪨, 敾, 歚, 𬙽, 𭌠, 𬙿, 𡄰, 𩕊(𬱱), 𬚁, 𬞗, 𤺪

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 197, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3904
• Dae Jaweon: page 418, character 38
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 660, character 2
• Unihan data for U+5584
• Unihan data for U+2F845
• Unihan data for U+2F846

Historical forms of the character 善
Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Originally written 譱 in bronze inscriptions, consisting of two 言 (OC *ŋan) and one 羊. The 言 (OC *ŋan) might have served as the phonetic component, while 羊 represented the sense "good; beautiful". The small seal script of 善 was simplified from the bronze inscription form, consisting of one 言 below one 羊.

According to Shuowen, the form 譱 is an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 誩 (“to wrangle”) + 羊 (“sheep”) – good; virtuous. This interpretation may be difficult to comprehend.

Probably related to 繕 (OC *ɡjens, “to mend; to repair”).

善

1. good; virtuous; charitable; kind

   Antonym: 惡／恶

   善事  ―  shànshì  ―  good deed; charitable deed

   • 人之初，性本善。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: Three Character Classic, circa 13^th century CE

     Rén zhī chū, xìng běn shàn. [Pinyin]

     Men at their birth, are naturally good.

   • 子曰：「善人為邦百年，亦可以勝殘去殺矣。誠哉是言也！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：「善人为邦百年，亦可以胜残去杀矣。诚哉是言也！」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

     Zǐyuē: “Shànrén wéi bāng bǎinián, yì kěyǐ shèngcánqùshā yǐ. Chéng zāi shì yán yě!” [Pinyin]

     The Master said, "'If good men were to govern a country in succession for a hundred years, they would be able to transform the violently bad, and dispense with capital punishments.' True indeed is this saying!"

2. good; fine; desirable

   善策  ―  shàncè  ―  good solution

   • 其間名山水而州者以百數，永最善。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     其间名山水而州者以百数，永最善。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 9th century, Liu Zongyuan, 遊黃溪記

     Qíjiān míng shānshuǐ ér zhōu zhě yǐ bǎi shù, Yǒng zuì shàn. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   1. (literary) to regard as good

      • 王如善之，則何為不行？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
        王如善之，则何为不行？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

        From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

        Wáng rú shàn zhī, zé héwéi bù xíng? [Pinyin]

        Since your Majesty deems them excellent, why do you not practise them?

3. good deed

   行善  ―  xíngshàn  ―  to do good deeds

4. to be good at

   善交際／善交际  ―  shàn jiāojì  ―  to be a mixer

   能歌善舞  ―  nénggēshànwǔ  ―  to be good at singing and dancing

   • 故善附民者，是乃善用兵者也。故兵要在乎善附民而已。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Art of War, circa 5^th century BCE

     Gù shàn fù mín zhě, shì nǎi shàn yòngbīng zhě yě. Gù bīng yào zàihū shàn fù mín éryǐ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

5. easily

   善變／善变  ―  shànbiàn  ―  to be changeable; to be prone or apt to change

   善忘  ―  shànwàng  ―  forgetful

6. appropriately; all out; earnestly

   善用  ―  shànyòng  ―  to use properly

   善自珍重  ―  shàn zì zhēnzhòng  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

7. to be friendly with; to be on friendly terms with

   • 夷吾善鮑叔牙。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夷吾善鲍叔牙。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

     Yíwú shàn Bào Shūyá. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 其後秦欲伐齊，齊、楚之交善，惠王患之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     其后秦欲伐齐，齐、楚之交善，惠王患之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

     Qíhòu Qín yù fá Qí, Qí, chǔ zhī jiāo shàn, Huì Wáng huàn zhī. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

8. (literary) to like

   • 亦余心之所善兮，雖九死其猶未悔。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

     Yì yú xīn zhī suǒ shàn xī, suī jiǔ sǐ qí yóuwèi huǐ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

9. (literary) Used to express agreement or commendation.; Good!

   • 孟獻子曰：「請城虎牢以偪鄭。」知武子曰：「善。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     孟献子曰：「请城虎牢以偪郑。」知武子曰：「善。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translation from Zuozhuan: Commentary on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" (2017), by Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li and David Schaberg

     Mèng Xiànzǐ yuē: “Qǐng chéng Hǔláo yǐ bī Zhèng.” Zhī Wǔzǐ yuē: “Shàn.” [Pinyin]

     Meng Xianzi said, "I request that Hulao be fortified to exert pressure on Zheng." Zhi Ying said, "Excellent."

10. (Taishanese, euphemistic) to die

    去善 [Taishanese]  ―  hui¹ sen⁵ [Wiktionary]  ―  go to hell

• “善”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(grade 6 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. virtue
2. goodness

• Go-on: ぜん (zen, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: せん (sen)
• Kun: よい (yoi, 善い, Jōyō)
• Nanori: よし (yoshi)

From Middle Chinese 善 (MC dzyenX).

• (Tokyo) ぜ​ん [zéꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [d͡zẽ̞ɴ]

善(ぜん) • (zen) 

1. good, good deed

   Antonym: 悪 (aku)

   • 1946, 三木清, 親鸞‎, 青空文庫:

     外(そと)においてどれほど善(ぜん)を行(おこ)なおうとしても、悪心(あくしん)は絶(た)えず裏(うら)から潜(ひそ)んでくる。

     Soto ni oite dore hodo zen o okonaō to shite mo, akushin wa taezu ura kara hisonde kuru.

     No matter how much good one tries to do outside, evil thoughts will always come lurking from behind it.

• 善(ぜん)に従(したが)うこと流(なが)るるが如(ごと)し (zen ni shitagau koto nagaruru ga gotoshi)
• 善(ぜん)に強(つよ)い者(もの)は悪(あく)にも強(つよ)い (zen ni tsuyoi mono wa aku ni mo tsuyoi)
• 善(ぜん)の裏(うら)は悪(あく) (zen no ura wa aku)
• 善(ぜん)の綱(つな) (zen no tsuna)
• 善(ぜん)は急(いそ)げ (zen wa isoge)
• 善(ぜん)を責(せ)むるは朋友(ほうゆう)の道(みち)なり (zen o semuru wa hōyū no michi nari)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰʌ̹n]
• Phonetic hangul: [선]

Wikisource 善 (eumhun 착할 선 (chakhal seon))

1. Hanja form^? of 선 (“good, nice”).

善: Hán Nôm readings: thiện

1. chữ Hán form of thiện (“kind, virtue, good”).