善
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Translingual
Han character
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)
Derived characters
- 僐, 𠟤, 㵛, 墡, 嫸, 鄯, 𠾺, 𢢆, 𢵈, 𨗚, 𬞗, 𮥣, 㪨, 㷽, 敾, 橏, 歚, 膳, 𣩧, 𤩕, 𥛶, 𪱋, 𭟽, 磰, 𤺪, 𥊳, 𫅜, 𬙽, 𮃬, 𮖯, 繕 (缮), 蟮, 𦏎, 𦗢, 𫅞, 𬱱, 𭀺, 𧬆, 𨣁, 𬙿, 𬹎, 𭌠, 𮜖, 鐥 (䦅), 𡄰, 饍, 𡅐, 𩕊, 𩦐, 𫅡, 𬚁, 鱔 (鳝), 𪍶, 𡆃, 𭨔
References
- KangXi: 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
Chinese
trad. | 善 | |
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simp. # | 善 | |
alternative forms | 譱 𠲘 𠵊 𠾄 𦎍 譱 𠲘 𠵊 𠾄 𦎍 𦏟 𦏯 𧨅 𧬆 𧮟 |
Glyph origin
Historical forms of the character 善 | |||
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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 |
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Old Chinese | |
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橏 | *tjenʔ |
嫸 | *tjenʔ |
善 | *ɡjenʔ |
譱 | *ɡjenʔ |
蟮 | *djanʔ |
鱔 | *djanʔ |
僐 | *djenʔ, *djens |
鄯 | *djenʔ, *djens |
墡 | *djenʔ |
磰 | *djenʔ |
繕 | *ɡjens |
膳 | *djens |
饍 | *djens |
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) : 誩 (“to wrangle”) + 羊 (“sheep”) – good; virtuous. This interpretation may be difficult to comprehend.
Etymology
Probably related to 繕 (OC *ɡjens, “to mend; to repair”).
Pronunciation
Definitions
善
- good, virtuous, charitable, kind
- Antonym: 惡/恶 (è)
- 人之初,性本善。 [Literary Chinese, trad. and simp.]
- From: Three Character Classic, circa 13th century CE
- Rén zhī chū, xìng běn shàn. [Pinyin]
- Men at their birth, are naturally good.
- (Taishanese, euphemistic) to die
- 去善 [Taishanese] ― hui1 sen5-4 [Wiktionary] ― go to hell
Compounds
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Japanese
Kanji
(grade 6 “Kyōiku” kanji)
- virtue
- goodness
Readings
- Go-on: ぜん (zen, Jōyō)
- Kan-on: せん (sen)
- Kun: よい (yoi, 善い, Jōyō)
- Nanori: よし (yoshi)
Etymology
Kanji in this term |
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善 |
ぜん Grade: 6 |
goon |
From Middle Chinese 善 (MC d͡ʑiᴇnX).
Pronunciation
- (Tokyo) ぜん [zéꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
- IPA(key): [d͡zẽ̞ɴ]
Noun
善 • (zen)
- good, good deed
- Antonym: 悪 (aku)
- 1946, 三木清, 親鸞, 青空文庫:
- 外においてどれほど善を行なおうとしても、悪心は絶えず裏から潜んでくる。
- 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.
- 外においてどれほど善を行なおうとしても、悪心は絶えず裏から潜んでくる。
Derived terms
- 善に従うこと流るるが如し (zen ni shitagau koto nagaruru ga gotoshi)
- 善に強い者は悪にも強い (zen ni tsuyoi mono wa aku ni mo tsuyoi)
- 善の裏は悪 (zen no ura wa aku)
- 善の綱 (zen no tsuna)
- 善は急げ (zen wa isoge)
- 善を責むるは朋友の道なり (zen o semuru wa hōyū no michi nari)
Korean
Hanja
善 (eumhun 착할 선 (chakhal seon))
- Hanja form? of 선 (“good, nice”).
Vietnamese
Han character
善: Hán Nôm readings: thiện
- chữ Hán form of thiện (“kind, virtue, good”).