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善良 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
善良shànliánggood and honestHSK 5, a, 19 strokes, rank #3306, Hard
善良shànliángkind-heartedHSK 5, a, 19 strokes, rank #3306, Hard
善良shànliángkindheartedHSK 5, unknown, 19 strokes, rank #3306, Hard
shànliáng(shan4liang2)shan liang T4
  1. 1good and honest
  2. 2kind-hearted
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March 24, 2026

善良shànliáng(shan4liang2)

善良 (shànliáng) refers to a person's inherent goodness and kindness, embodying qualities such as honesty and compassion. It is commonly used to describe individuals who are caring and considerate, often in the context of moral character or ethical behavior.

Strokes19Frequency#3306DifficultyHard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, being 善良 is highly valued and often linked to Confucian principles, which emphasize moral integrity and compassion towards others. Acts of kindness are celebrated in festivals and traditional stories.

Memory tip

Think of 善 (shàn) as 'good' with the left side resembling a person (人) doing good deeds, and 良 (liáng) as 'good' too, with the right part suggesting something pure or wholesome. Imagine a kind-hearted person giving food to someone in need while saying 'shan' to encourage goodness.

Meanings of 善良

shànliáng(shan4liang2)
1good and honest
2kind-hearted
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 善良

善良Simplified
19Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#3306Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 善良

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Podcast: 善良

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AI study notes for 善良

Quick Contrast

善良 (shànliáng) vs 仁慈 (réncí) — pick 善良 when emphasizing inherent goodness and kindness, while 仁慈 focuses more on mercy and compassion in action.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 善良 with just 善 (shàn), which means 'good' but doesn't emphasize kindness. It is generally used in a positive context, so avoid using it sarcastically. Common collocations include '善良的心' (kind-hearted heart) and '善良的人' (kind person).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 5 word, 善良 connects well with other character adjectives like 友好 (friendly) and 诚实 (honest). Focus on how 善良 complements discussions about character traits and ethical behavior in various contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 善良 with 友好 (friendly), thinking they mean the same thing. Remember, 善良 emphasizes moral goodness and kindness, while 友好 is more about friendliness in social interactions.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 善良

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Component characters

善shàngood (virtuous)
HSK 712 strokes口
View full entry
良liánggood
HSK 77 strokes艮
View full entry

How to say good and honest in Chinese

“good and honest” in Chinese is善良shànliáng

善良 (shànliáng) refers to a person's inherent goodness and kindness, embodying qualities such as honesty and compassion. It is commonly used to describe individuals who are caring and considerate, often in the context of moral character or ethical behavior.

When to use 善良

Be careful not to confuse 善良 with just 善 (shàn), which means 'good' but doesn't emphasize kindness. It is generally used in a positive context, so avoid using it sarcastically. Common collocations include '善良的心' (kind-hearted heart) and '善良的人' (kind person).

善良 or something close to it

善良 (shànliáng) vs 仁慈 (réncí) — pick 善良 when emphasizing inherent goodness and kindness, while 仁慈 focuses more on mercy and compassion in action.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 善良 with 友好 (friendly), thinking they mean the same thing. Remember, 善良 emphasizes moral goodness and kindness, while 友好 is more about friendliness in social interactions.

Write 善良

善
良

Practice writing 善良 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 善良

善良 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 2

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

她____而乐观。

She is kind and optimistic.

Example sentences for 善良 (18)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他粗暴的外表下藏着一颗非常善良的心。

tā cūbào de wàibiǎo xià cáng zhe yī kē fēicháng shànliáng de xīn。

His gruff exterior concealed one of the kindest hearts.
2
我爱上他，是因为他秉性善良。

wǒ ài shàng tā， shì yīnwèi tā bǐng xìngshàn liáng。

I fell in love with him because of his kind nature.
3
她是个心地善良的孩子。

tā shì gè xīn dì shànliáng de háizi。

She's a lovely child.
4
你是个好女孩儿，莱蒂，你的善良值得称赞。

nǐ shì gè hǎo nǚháir， lái dì， nǐ de shànliáng zhídé chēngzàn。

You're a nice girl, Lettie, and your kind heart does you credit.
5
他是个苛刻的批评家，但却是个非常善良的人。

tā shì gè kēkè de pīpíng jiā， dàn quèshì gè fēicháng shànliáng de rén。

He was a stern critic but an extremely kindly man.
6
她坚信人的本性是善良诚实的。

tā jiānxìn rén de běnxìng shì shànliáng chéngshí de。

She had an unshakeable faith in human goodness and natural honesty.
7
那里的大多数人都是吃苦耐劳、心地善良的工人阶级。

nàlǐ de dàduōshù rén dōushì chīkǔ nài láo、 xīn dì shànliáng de gōngrén jiējí。

Most of the people there are salt-of-the-earth, good, working-class people.
8
女舍监人很善良，但做事干脆利落、风风火火。

nǚ shě jiān rén hěn shànliáng， dàn zuòshì gāncuì lì là、 fēng fēng huǒ huǒ。

Matron was quite kind but brisk and hurried.
9
她本可以轻易地证实自己纯真善良的品性。

tā běn kěyǐ qīngyì dì zhèngshí zìjǐ chún zhēn shànliáng de pǐn xìng。

She could have established her own innocence and virtue easily enough.
10
“ 喂! —— 这是怎么讲, 善良的丁梅斯代尔先生? ”

“ wèi! —— zhè shì zěnme jiǎng, shànliáng de Dīng méi Sī dài ěr xiānsheng? ”

" Ay -- how is that, good Master Dimmesdale? "
11
在这个充满竞争的社会中，善良依然是一种美德。

Zài zhège chōngmǎn jìngzhēng de shèhuì zhōng, shànliáng yīrán shì yī zhǒng měidé.

In this competitive society, goodness remains a virtue.
12
她总是乐于助人，不求回报，因为她是真正的善良。

Tā zǒng shì lèyú zhùrén, bù qiú huíbào, yīnwèi tā shì zhēnzhèng de shànliáng.

She always helps others without expecting anything in return because she is truly good and honest.
13
他们用善良的举动感动了所有的观众。

Tāmen yòng shànliáng de jǔdòng gǎndòng le suǒyǒu de guānzhòng.

Their kind actions moved all the audience.
14
即使在困境中，他也从未放弃自己的善良本性。

Jíshǐ zài kùnjìng zhōng, tā yě cóngwèi fàngqì zìjǐ de shànliáng běnxìng.

Even in difficult situations, he never gave up his good and honest nature.
15
在这个充满竞争的社会中，善良依然是一种美德。

Zài zhège chōngmǎn jìngzhēng de shèhuì zhōng, shànliáng yīrán shì yī zhǒng měidé.

In this competitive society, goodness remains a virtue.
16
她总是乐于助人，不求回报，因为她是真正的善良。

Tā zǒng shì lèyú zhùrén, bù qiú huíbào, yīnwèi tā shì zhēnzhèng de shànliáng.

She always helps others without expecting anything in return because she is truly good and honest.
17
他们用善良的举动感动了所有的观众。

Tāmen yòng shànliáng de jǔdòng gǎndòng le suǒyǒu de guānzhòng.

Their kind actions moved all the audience.
18
即使在困境中，他也从未放弃自己的善良本性。

Jíshǐ zài kùnjìng zhōng, tā yě cóngwèi fàngqì zìjǐ de shànliáng běnxìng.

Even in difficult situations, he never gave up his good and honest nature.

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Frequently asked questions about 善良

You can say '他是一个善良的人' (He is a kind-hearted person) to describe someone positively.

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