善
shàn · HSK 7
good
🐑 羊 (sheep) sits on top — the sheep radical marks goodness and good fortune
The old form paired the sheep radical 羊 with speech elements, sheep being an auspicious, well-disposed animal. So 善 came to mean good, virtuous, and kind. By extension it also means good at something.
善 — sheep 羊 over 言 (speech), simplified to 善
Originally written with 羊 (sheep, auspicious) above two 言 (speech) elements, depicting auspicious or kind words. The form was simplified to one mouth-like base under 羊. The meaning shifted from 'auspicious speech' to the broader senses 'good, virtuous, skilled at.'