hǎo: 好 - Good, Well, Fine, OK
Quick Summary
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Summary: Discover the true meaning and usage of 好 (hǎo), one of the most essential and versatile words in Mandarin Chinese. More than just “good,” hǎo is a fundamental building block for greetings like 你好 (nǐ hǎo), expressing agreement (“OK”), describing well-being (“I am well”), and indicating completion. This guide provides beginners with a deep, practical understanding of hǎo through cultural context, clear examples, and common mistakes to avoid, making it a cornerstone of your Chinese learning journey.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): hǎo
Part of Speech: Adjective, Adverb, Verb Complement, Interjection
HSK Level: HSK 1
Concise Definition: Expresses a state of being good, well, or complete; also used for agreement or affirmation.
In a Nutshell: Think of 好 (hǎo) as the Swiss Army knife of positive words in Chinese. While its most direct translation is “good,” its true power lies in its flexibility. It's used to describe a good person or good weather (adjective), to say you do something “well” (adverb), to agree to a plan (“OK!”), and to confirm that a task is finished (“all set”). It’s the foundation of a positive, agreeable, and functional state in everyday Chinese conversation.
Character Breakdown
好 (hǎo): This character is a beautiful combination of two other characters:
女 (nǚ): Woman, female
子 (zǐ): Child, son
The traditional and most memorable explanation is that a mother (女) holding her child (子) is the ultimate and most natural depiction of “goodness,” harmony, and love. This simple, powerful image encapsulates the feeling of everything being right, safe, and positive that 好 (hǎo) conveys.
Cultural Context and Significance
The Goodness of Harmony: In Chinese culture, 好 (hǎo) is deeply connected to concepts of balance and harmony. It doesn't typically carry the strong moral weight of the English “good” (as in “a good vs. evil person”). Instead, it describes a state where things are pleasing, functional, and as they should be. Good weather (好天气 hǎo tiānqì) is harmonious, a good relationship is harmonious, and a completed task (做好 zuò hǎo) brings a situation to a harmonious close.
Comparison to “Fine”: In American culture, if someone asks “How are you?” a common response is “Fine, thanks.” This “fine” can be neutral or even a way to politely end the conversation. In China, the standard response is 我很好 (wǒ hěn hǎo), which literally means “I am very good.” While `很 (hěn)` can mean “very,” here it functions to make the statement sound natural and complete. The response is genuinely positive; the cultural default is to be “good.” Answering with just 好 (hǎo) would sound clipped and incomplete, and answering 不好 (bù hǎo) would be a strong, concerning statement.
This preference for a positive, agreeable state is baked into the language, starting with the most basic greeting in the world: 你好 (nǐ hǎo), which literally means “You good.”
Practical Usage in Modern China
好 (hǎo) is used constantly in different grammatical forms. Understanding these functions is key to sounding natural.
As an Adjective ("Good")
This is the most straightforward usage, describing a noun.
好人 (hǎo rén) - a good person
好朋友 (hǎo péngyou) - a good friend
好主意 (hǎo zhǔyi) - a good idea
As an Adverb ("Well")
When used with the particle 得 (de), it describes how well an action is performed.
As an Expression of Agreement ("OK", "Alright")
Used as a single-word interjection, it's a common and clear way to agree to a request or suggestion.
As a Resultative Complement ("Done Well", "Completed")
Attached to the end of a verb, 好 indicates that the action is completed successfully and is now in a state of readiness.
As an Intensifier ("So", "Very")
In informal and spoken Chinese, 好 can be placed before an adjective to mean “so” or “very,” often with a sense of surprise or exclamation.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
你好吗？我很好，谢谢。
Pinyin: Nǐ hǎo ma? Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie.
English: How are you? I am very well, thank you.
Analysis: The most classic use case. 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is the standard greeting, and 很好 (hěn hǎo) is the standard positive reply.
Example 2:
我们去看电影，好吗？ … 好！
Pinyin: Wǒmen qù kàn diànyǐng, hǎo ma? … Hǎo!
English: Let's go see a movie, OK? … OK!
Analysis: This demonstrates the two primary ways 好 is used for agreement. The `…, hǎo ma?` structure is a tag question asking for approval, and the single-word `Hǎo!` is the affirmative response.
Example 3:
他是一个好人。
Pinyin: Tā shì yī gè hǎo rén.
English: He is a good person.
Analysis: Here, 好 is a simple adjective. It means he is a nice, kind, or decent person, not necessarily a saint. It describes his general character in a positive light.
Example 4:
你中文说得很好。
Pinyin: Nǐ Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo.
English: You speak Chinese very well.
Analysis: This is the adverbial usage, describing the quality of the verb “to speak” (说). The structure `[Verb] + de + [Adverb]` is essential for this meaning.
Example 5:
晚饭做好了，快来吃吧！
Pinyin: Wǎnfàn zuò hǎo le, kuài lái chī ba!
English: Dinner is ready, come and eat!
Analysis: 做好 (zuò hǎo) is a resultative complement. It doesn't just mean the action “to cook” was good; it means the action is *finished* and the result is a ready meal.
Example 6:
这件衣服好漂亮啊！
Pinyin: Zhè jiàn yīfu hǎo piàoliang a!
English: This dress is so beautiful!
Analysis: A very common informal usage of 好 as an intensifier, equivalent to “so” or “really.” It often carries a tone of exclamation or slight surprise.
Example 7:
我们明天去公园，好不好？
Pinyin: Wǒmen míngtiān qù gōngyuán, hǎo bu hǎo?
English: We'll go to the park tomorrow, is that okay?
Analysis: The `A-not-A` question form 好不好 (hǎo bu hǎo) is another extremely common way to ask for agreement, softer and more suggestive than `…好吗?`.
Example 8:
你的作业写好了吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ de zuòyè xiě hǎo le ma?
English: Have you finished your homework?
Analysis: Another resultative complement example. 写好 (xiě hǎo) means “to finish writing.” The question is not about the quality of the homework, but whether it is complete.
Example 9:
这家餐厅的菜很好吃。
Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng de cài hěn hǎo chī.
English: The food at this restaurant is delicious.
Analysis: 好吃 (hǎo chī) is a fixed compound meaning “good to eat.” This demonstrates how 好 combines with other verbs to create specific sensory adjectives.
Example 10:
这部电影很好看。
Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn hǎo kàn.
English: This movie is very good (to watch).
Analysis: Similar to the above, 好看 (hǎo kàn) means “good to look at.” It can mean “beautiful” when describing a person or object, or “good/entertaining” when describing a movie or book.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using 好 for Moral Goodness.
A learner might want to say “He is a truly good person” (virtuous) and say “他是一个好人.” While not wrong, it's a general statement. For deep moral goodness or kindness, a more specific word is better.
Incorrect/Imprecise: 他很好。(Tā hěn hǎo.) - This usually means “He is doing well.”
Correct (for “kind”): 他很善良。(Tā hěn shànliáng.) - “He is very kind-hearted.”
Mistake 2: Confusing 好 (hǎo) and 很 (hěn).
Beginners often get confused about when to use which. `很 (hěn)` is a degree adverb (“very”). `好 (hǎo)` is an adjective (“good”) or an adverb of manner (“well”).
Incorrect: 他跑步很好。(Tā pǎobù hěn hǎo.) - This is grammatically awkward.
Correct: 他跑步跑得很好。(Tā pǎobù pǎo de hěn hǎo.) - “He runs very well.”
Note: The exception is the informal use of `好` as an intensifier, where `好贵 (hǎo guì)` and `很贵 (hěn guì)` are both correct but `好贵` has a more exclamatory feel.
Mistake 3: Responding “我好 (Wǒ hǎo)” to “你好吗 (Nǐ hǎo ma)?”.
While grammatically simple, this sounds unnatural and is never said. In Chinese, stative adjectives like 好 are usually “activated” by an adverb like 很 (hěn) in simple declarative sentences.
Incorrect: 我好。(Wǒ hǎo.)
Correct: 我很好。(Wǒ hěn hǎo.) - “I am (very) good.”
不好 (bù hǎo) - The direct antonym, meaning “bad,” “not good,” or “not well.”
很好 (hěn hǎo) - The standard phrase for “very good” or “I am fine.” It's the most common positive reply.
你好 (nǐ hǎo) - The fundamental greeting, “hello,” built from “you” and “good.”
好吃 (hǎo chī) - A specific compound adjective meaning “delicious” (literally “good to eat”).
好看 (hǎo kàn) - A specific compound adjective meaning “good-looking,” “beautiful,” or “interesting to watch” (literally “good to look at”).
好玩 (hǎo wán) - A specific compound adjective meaning “fun” or “interesting to play with” (literally “good to play”).
好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn) - A common phrase using
好 as an intensifier for “long,” meaning “long time no see.”
好处 (hǎo chu) - Noun. “Benefit,” “advantage,” or “pro.”
不错 (bú cuò) - A very common synonym for “good,” literally meaning “not wrong.” It's a solid way to give praise, meaning “pretty good!” or “not bad at all!”
善良 (shàn liáng) - An adjective for “kind” or “virtuous,” describing moral character rather than a general state of being good.