Kanji N1

善: virtuous, good, goodness

善 is a JLPT N1 kanji meaning virtuous, good, goodness, written with 12 strokes. It is read ゼン (on) and よい, いい, よく (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 6. You will see it in 改善 (かいぜん, betterment) and 善 (ぜん, good).

善

Meanings

  • virtuous
  • good
  • goodness
Strokes12
JLPT levelN1
School gradeGrade 6
Frequency#765 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • ゼン

On'yomi: from Chinese, written in katakana. Used in compound words.

Kun reading
  • よい
  • いい
  • よく
  • よしとする

Kun'yomi: native Japanese, in hiragana. The faint part is the okurigana, written in kana after the kanji.

Watch the stroke order

Every stroke in order, the live one in vermilion. Replay as often as you like.

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Now draw it

Trace each stroke in order. Wrong direction or wrong order gets flagged right away.

1234567891011120 / 12

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 12. Start at the dot.

Common words with 善

The most useful words written with it, easiest first. Every other kanji in them opens its own page.

  • 改善かいぜん

    betterment; improvement

    JLPT N3
  • 善ぜん

    good; goodness; right; virtue

    JLPT N3
  • 親善しんぜん

    friendship; goodwill; friendly relations; amity

    JLPT N1
  • 最善さいぜん

    the very best; utmost

    JLPT N1
  • 善良ぜんりょう

    good (person, nature, etc.); good-natured

    JLPT N1
  • 善し悪しよしあし

    right or wrong; good or bad; quality

    JLPT N1
  • 善意ぜんい

    virtuous mind

  • 善隣ぜんりん

    good neighbour; good neighbor

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Stroke order from KanjiVG © Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0. Readings, meanings and words from KANJIDIC2 and JMdict, names from JMnedict, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0, and Wikidata, CC0. JLPT lists after Jonathan Waller (tanos.co.uk), CC BY.