Chinese word

善意

Pronunciation

Pinyinshàn yì

Meaning

  • noungoodwill

Example

我相信你的善意。wǒ xiāng xìn nǐ de shàn yì

I believe in your goodwill.

Illustration for 善意 (goodwill)

More examples

他说这话只是出于善意，并没有恶意。tā shuō zhè huà zhǐ shì chū yú shàn yì bìng méi yǒu è yì

He said this only out of goodwill and had no malice.

Core concept

The warm, helpful side of a person's intention, shown in conduct that does not seek to cause harm.

Common phrases

  • 出于善意chū yú shàn yì

    out of goodwill

  • 怀有善意huái yǒu shàn yì

    have goodwill

  • 表示善意biǎo shì shàn yì

    show goodwill

Similar words

好意hǎo yì: Warm feelings toward someone, with a friendly wish to treat them well.
爱心ài xīn: A compassionate feeling that inspires care and help for people in trouble.
好心hǎo xīn: Kind feelings that lead to helpful treatment of others.

Definition in Chinese

表示发自善良心意、希望帮助或不伤害他人的态度或举动，常用于描述人的内心倾向或行为动机。biǎo shì fā zì shàn liáng xīn yì xī wàng bāng zhù huò bù shāng hài tā rén de tài dù huò jǔ dòng cháng yòng yú miáo shù rén de nèi xīn qīng xiàng huò xíng wéi dòng jī

Word origin

The meaning grows from 善 (shàn, "good") plus 意 (yì, "thought"), presenting a morally good thought as the motive that guides an action.

Usage tips

  • The word separates a person's motive from the result of an action, so a well-meant comment can still be unwelcome or mistaken.

Other meanings

  • good intentionsnoun
  • kindnessnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word