Chinese word

善于

Pronunciation

Pinyinshàn yú

Meaning

  • adjectivebe good at

Example

她善于与人沟通。tā shàn yú yǔ rén gōu tōng

She is good at communicating with people.

Illustration for 善于 (be good at)

More examples

经理善于解决团队中的问题。jīng lǐ shàn yú jiě jué tuán duì zhōng de wèn tí

The manager is good at solving problems within the team.

Core concept

A reliable area of competence shown through repeated activity.

Common phrases

  • 善于与人沟通shàn yú yǔ rén gōu tōng

    be good at communicating with people

  • 善于倾听shàn yú qīng tīng

    be good at listening

  • 善于表达shàn yú biǎo dá

    be good at expressing oneself

Similar words

擅长shàn cháng: Having a strong ability to do a specific activity better than most people.
熟练shú liàn: Performing a practiced skill with speed, accuracy, and ease.
拿手ná shǒu: Having a particular skill or area of work that can be handled especially well.
能干néng gàn: Being competent at work and able to handle responsibilities well.

Definition in Chinese

表示某人在某方面具有明显的长处或擅长某类活动，侧重描述习惯性或倾向性的能力，可与名词或动词短语连用biǎo shì mǒu rén zài mǒu fāng miàn jù yǒu míng xiǎn de cháng chù huò shàn cháng mǒu lèi huó dòng cè zhòng miáo shù xí guàn xìng huò qīng xiàng xìng de néng lì kě yǔ míng cí huò dòng cí duán yǔ lián yòng

Word origin

善 (shàn, "good") conveys being capable, and 于 (yú, "in/at") marks the field where that capability is found.

Usage tips

  • This word fits descriptions of people at work or in social situations because it highlights a continuing ability rather than a one-time success.

Other meanings

  • excel atadjective
  • be skilled atadjective

Opposites

  • 不擅长bú shàn chángnot be good atadjective

Word lists with this word