善
Character learning workspace

shàn · good, virtuous, charitable, kind

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 3.0 · Level 7-9Frequency #3510
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Learn every stroke in 善

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 善 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

12Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Top-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the upper section balanced above the lower section.

口Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

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Download a 善 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 善

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

shànWords pronounced shàn
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Example sentences

Notice where 善 sits in each complete thought.

Nǐ yào gǎi shàn yí xià nǐ de yīng yǔ.你要改善一下你的英語。

You have to polish your English.

Source: Tatoeba #338985 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè zhēn shì yí gè hěn shàn liáng de yuàn wàng.这真是一个很善良的愿望。

This is a really kind wish.

Source: Tatoeba #2092447 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā bú shàn yú jì rén míng.他不善于记人名。

He's not good at remembering names.

Source: Tatoeba #5845629 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè bú shì cí shàn xíngwéi.这不是慈善行为。

This isn't a charity.

Source: Tatoeba #13755316 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā shì yí gè yǒu shàn de rén.他是一個友善的人。

He is a friendly person.

Source: Tatoeba #833216 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Duì qí tā rén nǐ yīnggāi hé shàn yì diǎn.对其他人你应该和善一点。

You should be kind to others.

Source: Tatoeba #3783099 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 善 in context

  1. Say shàn, then recall the core meaning: good, virtuous, charitable, kind.
  2. Write all 12 strokes while keeping the top-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 改善 (gǎi shàn), meaning “to make better”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 善 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.