adj.
Beautiful and good; a woman with a child was seen as a blessing and virtue. Good, fine, nice, well, friendly, or satisfactory; shows approval or pleasure. A woman (女) beside a child (子): mother and child together make a scene of goodness.
好
adv.
Well, in a fine or proper manner. Very, quite, really (intensifier before adjectives). A woman (女) with a child (子) is "good"; say it with emphasis and it becomes "very".
v.
to finish; to be ready; to recover
v.
to be fond of; to like; to have a tendency to
Common Usage & Traps
- 很好 — very good; very well
- 好的 — OK; sure
- 好朋友 — good friend
- 好吃 — delicious
- 好很多 — much better
- 好学 — studious; eager to learn
- 好学 — easy to learn
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好很很好English-style order puts 'very' after 好, but Chinese puts it before.
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很好多好很多To say 'much better', 好 comes first, then 很多; 很好多 flips the stack.
Why do you say 很好 instead of 好很 for 'very good'?
Chinese puts 'very' before 好, so 很好 is right.
In Chinese, the word for 'very' always comes before the describing word. So 很好 means 'very good', while 好很 sounds broken to native ears. The same order shows up in everyday phrases like 很大, 很忙, and 很累.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Order | 很好 | 好很 |
| Meaning | very good | broken Chinese |
| Other examples | 很大, 很忙 | 大很, 忙很 |
Can you just reply 好 to a coworker on WeChat, or does it sound cold?
A bare 好 can sound blunt; 好的 or 好啊 usually lands better.
In chat, 好 alone is not rude, but it often feels clipped and boss-like. Adding 的, 啊, or 呀 softens it into a normal friendly reply. If a coworker asks for a small favor, 好的 is safe and natural. If you are excited, 好啊 sounds warmer than a bare 好.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Coworker asks favor | 好的 | 好 (can sound curt) |
| Friend invites lunch | 好啊 | 好的 (too formal) |
| Boss gives instruction | 好 | 好啊 (too casual) |
Why does 好学 mean 'studious' but hǎo xué can mean 'easy to learn'?
Tone flips it: hào xué is 'studious', hǎo xué is 'easy to learn'.
好学 is a trap because the first character has two readings. With fourth tone, hào means 'to like', so hào xué describes a person who loves studying. With third tone, hǎo means 'easy to', so hǎo xué describes a subject that is easy to learn. Context tells you which one people mean.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Studious person | 他很好学 (hào xué) | 他很好学 (hǎo xué) if you mean studious |
| Easy subject | 中文很好学 (hǎo xué) | 中文很好学 (hào xué) if you mean easy |
| Pronunciation | hào xué = likes studying | hǎo xué = easy to study |
Why can 好 mean 'get better' in 能好很多, not just 'good'?
After 能, 好 can mean 'get much better', not just 'good'.
好 usually describes how something is, like 很好 or 好朋友. After 能, it can describe what something can become. So 能好很多 means 'can get much better' or 'can improve a lot'. English often uses an action word like 'improve', but Chinese lets 好 do that job with 很多. 提高 is also correct, but 好 focuses on the result. “我教他英文，他教我中文，每天学几个词，很快，我们的英语和汉语都能好很多。” (I teach him English, and he teaches me Chinese. We learn a few words every day; very soon, both our English and Chinese can get much better.) ── [《友好的高友朋》](/read/friendly-beijing-coworker#s13)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Much better | 能好很多 | 能很好多 |
| Order | 好 + 很多 | 很好 + 多 |
| Alternative | 能提高很多 | 能提高很好 |
Appears in Stories 9 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Enjoy this simple story about a patient and a mysterious apple. It shows how a small act of kindness can make someone feel at home, and you'll learn key words for feelings and daily life.
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桌子上有老先生写的字：“我的朋友，你天天都 好 ！”
This playful poem helps you count and practice vocabulary about clothes, students, and pets. Enjoy the rhythm while learning new words.
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六七个男学生，七八个女同学，八九个 好 朋友。
Before you read, close your eyes and imagine a rainy afternoon. This story uses simple HSK 1 words to show how rain can become a talking friend.
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雨说：你 好 ，你 好 。
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我说：你 好 ，你 好 。
This short poem plays with words that sound alike, comparing things that are good to watch, read, hear, or taste. Perfect for practicing basic adjectives like 好 and 真.
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好 电影好看， 好 书不好看。
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好 歌真好听，真话不好听。
Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.
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你 好 ！
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您 好 ！
Follow a day from waking at six-thirty to coming home at eight, then leap across days, months, and years. This simple story helps you practice speaking about routines and life changes with clear time words.
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后天有个 好 电影。
Meet Xiao Shang, who is heading back to Shanghai. She compares two ways to travel and tells us why she prefers the slower one. This story helps you practice comparing transportation in simple Chinese.
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坐火车比坐飞机便宜得多，去飞机场也要花很多时间，所以，小商觉得坐火车比坐飞机 好 。
Ever noticed how similar Chinese words can be? This rhyme plays with place names and homophones, from schools to hotels, even throwing in Samsung's origin. A lighthearted way to boost your word power.
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书店有 好 书，饭店吃和住，酒店没有酒。
Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.
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我教他英文，他教我中文，每天学几个词，很快，我们的英语和汉语都能 好 很多。
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