Word
善
Meaning in Englishgood, virtue, goodness
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
善 means moral goodness or virtue. It denotes a positive ethical quality in people or actions, including benevolence, kind intentions, or beneficial outcomes, and it appears in compounds and idioms to express a morally favorable nature or advantageous outcomes.
Main meanings
- Goodness, virtue, benevolence as a trait or disposition
- Good deeds, acts of kindness or beneficial actions
- Goodwill or well-meaning intent in interactions
- In philosophical or religious contexts, the concept of the good contrasted with evil (善悪)
How to use it
Used in ethics discussions, religious or philosophical texts, and everyday compounds to describe a morally positive quality, goodwill in interactions, or beneficial actions; common usages include 善意, 善行, 善良.
Variants and close terms
- 善行 zenkō — good deed
- 善意 zen'i — good will
- 善良 zenryō — virtuous, kind
- 善悪 zen'aku — good and evil, moral dichotomy
- 善処 zensho — to handle appropriately
- 善い yoi — good, proper (kun-reading)
Composition
善 is a standalone kanji meaning good or virtue; there are no separate components to break down within this entry.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Word
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Kanji