# 尽善尽美

jìn shàn jìn měi

Be excellent in every important respect

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Complete goodness and complete beauty

**Traditional Chinese:** 盡善盡美

**Register:** General · spoken & written

[Effort & growth](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/effort)

## When to use it

Praise a result or describe an ideal of thorough excellence.

Absolute perfection can be an unrealistic demand; consider the purpose.

## The image & its use

A carefully prepared work may bring together useful content, clear structure, and a pleasing presentation. This expression praises that combination as complete excellence. It can also describe the standard someone hopes to reach. The ideal is demanding, and a useful result may still deserve appreciation before every small detail is perfect. Explain which qualities matter for the purpose. Thoughtful improvement is more practical than postponing all use of a good result because another refinement might still be possible.

## Examples

她希望把这次展览安排得尽善尽美。

### Traditional Chinese

她希望把這次展覽安排得盡善盡美。

tā xī wàng bǎ zhè cì zhǎn lǎn ān pái dé jìn shàn jìn měi 。

She hopes to arrange the exhibition excellently in every respect.

这份说明很实用，虽未尽善尽美，也值得采用。

### Traditional Chinese

這份說明很實用，雖未盡善盡美，也值得采用。

zhè fèn shuō míng hěn shí yòng ， suī wèi jìn shàn jìn měi ， yě zhí dé cǎi yòng 。

The instructions are useful and worth adopting even if not perfect.

设计经过多次改进，越来越接近尽善尽美。

### Traditional Chinese

設計經過多次改進，越來越接近盡善盡美。

shè jì jīng guò duō cì gǎi jìn ， yuè lái yuè jiē jìn jìn shàn jìn měi 。

Repeated improvements bring the design closer to complete excellence.

不必事事尽善尽美，先把关键需要做好。

### Traditional Chinese

不必事事盡善盡美，先把關鍵需要做好。

bú bì shì shì jìn shàn jìn měi ， xiān bǎ guān jiàn xū yào zuò hǎo 。

Not everything must be perfect; first meet the essential needs well.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 7, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=1480&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E7%9B%A1%E5%96%84%E7%9B%A1%E7%BE%8E)

## Keep exploring

- [兢兢业业 jīng jīng yè yè Work conscientiously and diligently ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/jing-jing-ye-ye)

- [井井有条 jǐng jǐng yǒu tiáo Be organized and orderly ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/jing-jing-you-tiao)

- [精益求精 jīng yì qiú jīng Keep improving something already good ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/jing-yi-qiu-jing)

- [鞠躬尽瘁 jū gōng jìn cuì Devote oneself with utmost effort ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ju-gong-jin-cui)

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