善于
shànyū · HSK 4
be adept in
🎯 善 = good/skilled + 于 = at; literally 'good at'
善 means good or skilled, and 于 is a classical preposition meaning 'at' or 'in'. Together 善于 = 'skilled at' or 'adept in' — used before a verb to say someone excels at doing 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.'
于 — two horizontal strokes 二 + vertical hook 亅
于 originated as a pictograph of breath or sound flowing outward, depicting exhalation through a passage. In oracle bone script it resembled a curved line showing motion or extension. Over time it became a grammatical preposition meaning 'at,' 'in,' or 'to,' losing its original concrete sense.