善
virtuous · good · goodness
Details
Stroke Order
Component Breakdown
left-right: 羊 + mouth
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of sheep and words. Speaking like sheep.
Symbolism
Good and evil, goodwill, improvement. Represents goodness.
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
勧善懲悪
かんぜんちょうあく
rewarding good and punishing evil; poetic justice; rewarding good and punishing evil
善因善果
ぜんいんぜんか
good actions lead to good rewards; one good turn deserves another; good actions lead to good rewards
善男善女
ぜんなんぜんにょ
pious men and women; religious people; the faithful; pious men and women
善隣友好
ぜんりんゆうこう
neighbourly friendship; neighborly friendship; neighbourly friendship
追善供養
ついぜんくよう
memorial service; memorial service
体質改善
たいしつかいぜん
improvement of one's constitution; reformation; improvement of one's constitution
嘉言善行
かげんぜんこう
good words and good deeds; good words and good deeds
独善主義
どくぜんしゅぎ
self-righteousness; self-righteousness
寸善尺魔
すんぜんしゃくま
in evil, there is odds; there is more evil than good in this world; one good thing tends to cause many bad things to happen; in evil, there is odds
是非善悪
ぜひぜんあく
rights and wrongs; the relative merits (of a case); propriety; rights and wrongs
善後処置
ぜんごしょち
remedial measure; settlement (of matters); dealing with the aftermath; remedial measure
善隣外交
ぜんりんがいこう
good-neighbor diplomacy; a good-neighbor policy; good-neighbor diplomacy
善は急げ
ぜんはいそげ
Make haste to do good; Don't delay doing good deeds
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 善 mean in Japanese?
善 means virtuous, good, goodness.
How do you read 善?
On'yomi: ゼン (ZEN). Kun'yomi: よ.い、い.い、よ.く、よし.とする (yoi, ii, yoku, yoshitosuru).
How many strokes does 善 have?
善 has 12 strokes. Its radical is 口 (mouth).
Is 善 a good kanji for a tattoo?
Yes. 善 (virtuous, good, goodness) has a clear positive meaning and no embarrassing alternate readings, making it a solid tattoo choice.
Explore by meaning:kanji for good · kanji for goodness