TSUMUGU · B1 (est.) · 字
善
ㄕㄢˋ · shàn
adj — good, kind, virtuous; verb — to be good at (善於)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
A sheep (羊) over speech (言) — words as fine and well-shaped as the auspicious animal. The old graph doubled the speech (誩) under the sheep: fair words all around, the good and the lucky. From there: 善良、善意、改善, and the turn to skill — 善於, good at a thing.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一頭肥羊（羊）配上一句好話（言）——又吉利又中聽。
A well-fed sheep (羊) and a fair word (言) — auspicious, and good to hear.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)善、吉— good, auspicious常用
→善良、善意— kind, well-meaning常用
→改善、完善— to make good, improve
⇒善於、善用— to be good at, skilled in常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension