Writing
善 (shàn) — how to say "good" in Chinese
善
Good; kind; virtue
adjective
Character composition
good
Radicals / Keys
Mouth
#30 · kǒu · 3 strokes
Collocations
行善
xíngshàn
to do good
善心
shànxīn
kind heart
Examples
善良的人总是帮助别人。
Kind people always help others.
他是善人。
He is a good person.
Try remembering 善
Three short exercises on meaning and pronunciation. Free, no sign-up needed.
Frequently asked questions
How to say good in Chinese Mandarin?
"good" in Chinese is 善 (shàn).
善 meaning in English
善 (shàn) means "Good; kind; virtue".
How is 善 pronounced?
It is pronounced shàn (written as shan). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "good" in Chinese characters?
It is written 善 and has 12 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 善?
善 is on the HSK 3.0 levels 7–9 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
Tomyo
Learn Chinese words with spaced repetition
Add 善 to your vocabulary and remember it with smart reviews, audio and examples.
