Not a Dictionary · Sentence Card
善 有 善 报 。
Good deeds bring good rewards; kindness is met with recompense.
善 shàn "kindness/good" 🔊
有 yǒu "have" 🔊
善 shàn "good" 🔊
报 bào "reward/recompense" 🔊

A classic Chinese idiom reflecting moral causality, often paired with its counterpart "恶有恶报" (evil deeds bring evil retribution).

善有善报 (“KINDNESS HAS ITS REWARD”)

Acts of goodness (善) will naturally result in (有) positive outcomes or blessings (善报) for the doer.

Core Philosophy: Moral balance and karmic justice in human relationships and life.

Subject-Verb-Object Structure:
[Subject/Topic: 善] + [Verb: 有] + [Object: 善报]

A concise four-character structure (成语 Chéngyǔ) built on semantic repetition:

  • 善 (shàn) acts as the initial condition of goodness.
  • 有 (yǒu) links the condition to its consequence.
  • 善报 (shànbào) combines "good" and "reward/retribution" into a compound noun object.

The symmetry and repetition make it exceptionally memorable and culturally resonant.

EXAMPLE 1 · ENCOURAGING KINDNESS
我们 wǒmen • we 应该 yīnggāi • should 多做善事 duōzuòshàn • do good deeds ， 善有善报 shànyǒushànbào • virtue rewarded 。
We should do more good deeds; virtue is always rewarded in the end.
EXAMPLE 2 · MORAL REASSURANCE
不要 bùyào • do not 气馁 qìněi • lose heart ， 信 xìn • believe 世界 shìjiè • world 善有善报 proverb • good has good reward 。
Don't lose heart; believe that in this world, goodness will always be rewarded.
TARGET SENTENCE
Good deeds bring good rewards.
NOT A DICTIONARY