善良
shànliáng
In Chinese, the word for kind is 善良 (shànliáng).
善良 is an adjective used to describe a person's moral goodness, benevolence or virtuous nature. It is often used to describe a person's fundamental character, such as in the collocation 善良的心 (shànliáng de xīn), which means a kind heart.
Meaning: benevolent, courteous, friendly, generous (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word consists of two characters: 善 (shàn), which means good or virtuous and 良 (liáng), which means good or fine.
Which one should you use?
While 善良 refers to a person's inherent moral goodness, the term 亲切 is used to describe someone who is kind in a warm, approachable or friendly manner.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 善良 as an adjective to describe a person, it is common to precede it with an adverb of degree like 很 (hěn) rather than using the verb 'to be'. For example, use 很善良 to mean 'very kind'.
How do you pronounce it?
shànliáng
Did you know?
- In some historical contexts, the character 良 was used to categorize 'good' or 'common' citizens in a social hierarchy, distinguishing them from 'lowly' people.
- The character 善 (shàn) does not just mean 'kind', it also functions as a verb meaning 'to be good at' or 'to be skilled in' something. For example, it can be used to describe someone who is good at a particular craft or skill.
- The character 良 (liáng) is the root of the word 良心 (liángxīn), which translates to 'conscience' and literally means 'good heart'.
Examples in context
- 他嚴厲卻善良。He is strict yet kind.This sentence illustrates how someone can be strict yet 善良.Tatoeba #13108935 by LeviHighway, translation #2800120 by coerce1
- 这真是一个很善良的愿望。This is a really kind wish.This example shows how to describe a kind wish.Tatoeba #2092447 by Gustav249, translation #7805687 by sharris123
- 瑪麗雖然看起來好像不是很友好，其實她有顆很善良的心。Mary looks unfriendly, but she is really very kind at heart.This sentence uses 善良 to describe someone's character at heart.Tatoeba #10495210 by DaoSeng, translation #31882 by CN
- 他是位非常亲切的老师。He is a very kind teacher.
- 她的笑容非常和蔼。Her smile is very kind.
- 他的胸怀非常宽厚。His heart is very kind and generous.
- 他真是个好人，总是帮助别人。He is such a kind person, always helping others.
- 她对待动物非常善良。She is very kind to animals.
- 这个志愿者非常热心，总是尽力帮助人们。This volunteer is very kind, always doing their best to help people.
- 佢真係有好意。He/she really has good intentions, very kind.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Junjie are talking about a volunteer they met.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那位志願者真的很善良。Nà wèi zhìyuànzhě zhēnde hěn shànliáng.That volunteer is truly kind.
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，他非常熱心。Shì de, tā fēicháng rèxīn.Yes, he is very enthusiastic.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen俊杰，你也覺得他很善良嗎？Jùnjié, nǐ yě juédé tā hěn shànliáng ma?Junjie, do you also think he is kind?
- 俊杰 Junjie我完全同意你的看法。Wǒ wánquán tóngyì nǐ de kànfǎ.I completely agree with you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
