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乐善好施 (lè shàn hào shī) — charitable; benevolent; generous in giving

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'loves doing good and enjoys giving' — describes someone consistently generous and charitable. Used in writing or praise, not casual speech.

idiom
charitablebenevolentgenerous in giving

Examples

  • 乐善好施，。
    Tā shì yí wèi lè shàn hào shī de shāng rén, jīng cháng juān kuǎn gěi cí shàn jī gòu.
    He is a charitable businessman who often donates to charities.
  • 乐善好施。
    lè shàn hào shī Shì zhōng huá mín zú de chuán tǒng měi dé.
    Charitable generosity is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation.
  • 乐善好施，。
    Zhè wèi lǎo rén yì shēng lè shàn hào shī, shēn shòu dà jiā zūn jìng.
    This elderly person was charitable all his life and deeply respected by everyone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

乐善delight in good deeds
乐lèdelight in善shàngood deeds
动宾Verb + object
好施fond of giving
好hǎofond of施shīgive
动宾Verb + object

“乐善” and “好施” both describe delighting in good deeds and giving, so the sense is charitable.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樂; 乐 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 樂, 絲 (string) with 木 (wood) shows strings on a piece of wood, a musical instrument; the simplified 乐 is a later shorthand.

Open 乐 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

An earlier form of 善 joined 羊, a sheep linked with goodness or beauty, and 誩, described as a wrangle; the reference says this meaning link is hard to understand.

Open 善 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

好 joins 女 (woman) and 子 (child), understood as a woman with a child, linked to goodness or affection.

Open 好 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
㫃㫃㫃
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě施shī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

施 pairs 㫃, the part connected to its meaning, with 也, the part giving its sound.

Open 施 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesPersonality & Traits

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