尽善尽美 (jìn shàn jìn měi) — perfect, flawless; the acme of perfection

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning 'as perfect as possible' — the highest ideal of excellence, often used as a goal rather than a description. Don't confuse with the everyday adjective 完美, which simply describes something as already perfect.

idiom

perfectflawlessthe acme of perfection

Examples

，尽善尽美。
Zhè ge jì huà suī rán yǐ jīng hěn wán měi, dàn hái kě yǐ zuò dào jìn shàn jìn měi.
This plan is already very good, but it can still be made flawless.
尽善尽美，。
Tā de biǎo yǎn jìn shàn jìn měi, yíng dé le quán chǎng guān zhòng de zhǎng shēng.
Her performance was flawless, winning applause from the entire audience.
尽善尽美，。
Zhuī qiú jìn shàn jìn měi gù rán hǎo, dàn yě yào zhī dào shén me shí hou tíng xià lái.
Pursuing perfection is fine, but one also needs to know when to stop.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

尽善completely good

尽jìncompletely善shàngood

偏正Modifier + head

尽美completely beautiful

尽jìncompletely美měibeautiful

偏正Modifier + head

尽善 and 尽美 both say something is made completely good and completely beautiful, so the whole means perfect.

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 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

聿聿yùhand holding a brush
灬灬huǒbristles
皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

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

誩誩jìngto wrangle
羊羊yángsheep

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

聿聿yùhand holding a brush
灬灬huǒbristles
皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

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