不善

bùshàn

adjective #23,637

Meanings

1 not good at
2 bad
3 ill-intentioned
4 not to be underestimated

Characters

good / virtuous / skilled

Examples

他不善于表达自己的感情。

Tā bùshàn yú biǎodá zìjǐ de gǎnqíng.

He is not good at expressing his feelings.

此人来者不善，要小心。

Cǐ rén lái zhě bùshàn, yào xiǎoxīn.

This person hasn't come with good intentions — be careful.

她的厨艺不善，只能做简单的菜。

Tā de chúyì bùshàn, zhǐ néng zuò jiǎndān de cài.

Her cooking skills are not great; she can only make simple dishes.

Tips

usage

不善 has two distinct uses: (1) 不善于 / 不善 + verb: 'not good at something' (e.g., 不善于交际 — not good at socializing); (2) standalone or in 来者不善 — meaning 'ill-intentioned' or 'not to be taken lightly.' Context determines the meaning.

Stroke Order

不 bù

善 shàn