慈善
císhàn · HSK 7
charitable
🤲💝 慈 mercy + 善 goodness = charitable kindness
The character 慈 means compassion or mercy, while 善 means good or virtuous. Together they form the concept of charitable benevolence — doing good out of compassion. Císhàn sounds a bit like 'seeshan' — see the good in sharing.
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.'