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完善 (wán shàn) — (adjective) comprehensive, well-developed, excellent; (verb) to perfect, to improve, to refine

Definition

Used for systems, plans, and facilities that are already well-built but could be even better — as a verb it means to perfect them. 完美 is for things that can't be improved; 健全 focuses on making something sound and functional.

adjective
comprehensivewell-developedexcellent
verb
to perfectto improveto refine

Examples

  • 完善。
    Zhè ge fāng àn hěn wán shàn.
    This plan is very comprehensive.
  • 完善。
    Gōng sī zhèng zài wán shàn guǎn lǐ zhì dù.
    The company is improving its management system.
  • ，完善。
    Jīng guò duō cì xiū gǎi, chǎn pǐn yuè lái yuè wán shàn.
    After many revisions, the product becomes more and more well-developed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

完wáncomplete
善shàngood

完 means complete and 善 means good, so together they describe something well-developed or to make it better.

Characters in this word

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
元
元yuán完wán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

完 pairs 宀 (roof) with 元, which gives the sound.

Open 完 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Good & Bad

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