Meaning
好 is one of the most fundamental and versatile words in Mandarin. As an adjective, it means 'good' or 'fine.' As an adverb, it intensifies verbs (very, quite). It can also function as a verb meaning 'to like' or 'to be fond of' (though this usage typically appears in compounds).
Usage
好 is used constantly in everyday speech. It's the standard response for agreement ('OK', '好的'). When repeated as 好好, it means 'properly' or 'well.' In questions like '好吗?' or '好不好?', it asks for agreement or approval. The verb sense 'to like' usually appears in words like 爱好 (hobby) or 好奇 (curious), rather than standing alone.
Examples
- 01今天天气很好。.The weather is very good today.
- 02好，我们明天见。, .OK, we'll meet tomorrow.
Common collocations
- 好久不见long time no see
- 好好学习study hard/properly
- 你好hello
- 好像it seems like
Antonyms
Origin
The character 好 combines 女 (woman) and 子 (child), originally depicting a mother with child as the ideal of goodness and harmony in ancient Chinese culture.