善于 shànyú to be good at
to be good at; to be adept at
How to remember 善于: 善 good + 于 at = to be good at.
Characters
How it is used
- To be good at / adept at - 善于表达 (shànyú biǎodá) good at expressing oneself; 善于交际 (shànyú jiāojì) socially skilled.
- Followed by a verb/activity, stressing a natural knack or habitual skill. Contrast 擅长 (shàncháng), near-synonymous but often for a specific skill/field (擅长画画).
- Fairly formal; you don't say 善于 for a one-off ability.
Example sentences
- 他不善于记人名。 Tā bú shànyú jìrénmíng.He's not good at remembering names.
- 她很善于砍价。 Tā hěn shànyú kǎnjià.She's good at bargaining the price down.