良善 (liáng shàn) — kind-hearted, virtuous, good-natured

Definition

A literary/formal adjective for a 'kind-hearted, virtuous' person or behavior, used more in writing than everyday speech where 善良 is the standard spoken word.

adjective
kind-heartedvirtuousgood-natured

Examples

  • 良善。
    Tā shì yí gè xīn dì liáng shàn de rén.
    He is a kind-hearted person.
  • 良善，。
    Tā wèi rén liáng shàn, shēn shòu dà jiā zūn jìng.
    She is virtuous in character and deeply respected by everyone.
  • 良善。
    Zhè ge shè huì xū yào gèng duō liáng shàn de xíng wéi.
    This society needs more virtuous behavior.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

良liánggood
善shànkind

良 and 善 both mean good or kind, together describing a virtuous, good-natured person.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

良 possibly depicts corridors and a room.

Open 良 →

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 →

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