How to say "goodness" in Japanese

• 善ぜんJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounGoodness in the abstract, ethical sense: the quality of being good, right, or virtuous. Choose this when discussing moral goodness as a concept rather than particular good deeds.
  競争きょうそうそれ自体じたいは善ぜんでも悪わるでもない。↗

  Competition is neither good nor evil in itself.
• 良きよきCommon
  nounAs a standalone word for 'goodness' this is marginal: 良き is really the attributive form of the adjective 良い 'good', so it appears describing a noun rather than standing alone for the quality itself.
• 徳行とっこうCommon
  nounGoodness as embodied in virtuous acts or deeds rather than as an abstract quality; use it for a person's virtuous conduct or good deeds.

Use 善 for goodness as an abstract moral quality (what is good, right, or virtuous), 徳行 for goodness shown in virtuous acts or deeds, and treat 「良き」 as the attributive form of 良い rather than a word for 'goodness'.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 善ぜんgood
• 良きよきgoodness
• 徳行とっこうvirtuous act or deeds
• 仁徳じんとくbenevolence
• 篤行とっこうvirtuous conduct