善意 shànyì goodwill
goodwill; benevolence; kindness
How to remember 善意: 善 good + 意 idea = goodwill.
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How it is used
- Goodwill / kind intentions - 出于善意 (chūyú shànyì) out of good intentions; 善意的谎言 (shànyì de huǎngyán) a white lie.
- The opposite is 恶意 (èyì, malice); this pair frames intent as benign vs. hostile. Neutral to formal - 没有恶意 (méiyǒu èyì) mean no harm.