善
ぜん · zen · JLPT N3 · noun
good
🐑 善 = sheep 羊 on top + mouth 口 below: gentle, sheep-like words are good
The old form was 羊 (sheep) over 誩 (two people speaking): kind, auspicious speech. Sheep mark good things in 美 and 祥 too. It's read ぜん, like Zen, but Zen Buddhism is a different kanji (禅). Seen in 善悪, good and evil.
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.'