Chinese Character: 好
1. Character Basics
Radical: 女/nǚ (woman/female)
Stroke Count: 6 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Hǎo (Third tone) or Hào (Fourth tone)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning (Hǎo): Good; nice; fine; well; friendly
Basic Meaning (Hào): To like; to love; to be fond of
Extended Meaning: Excellent; proper; suitable; complete
Additional Meaning: Often used to express approval, satisfaction, or preference
4. Common Words
- 好人 (hǎo rén) - Good person; kind person
他是一个好人。(Tā shì yī gè hǎo rén.) - He is a good person.
- 好看 (hǎo kàn) - Good-looking; nice to look at
这件衣服很好看。(Zhè jiàn yī fu hěn hǎo kàn.) - This dress is very nice-looking.
- 好吃 (hǎo chī) - Delicious; tasty
这个蛋糕很好吃。(Zhè ge dàn gāo hěn hǎo chī.) - This cake is very delicious.
- 爱好 (ài hào) - Hobby; interest
我的爱好是读书。(Wǒ de ài hào shì dú shū.) - My hobby is reading.
- 友好 (yǒu hǎo) - Friendly; amicable
他们对我们很友好。(Tā men duì wǒ men hěn yǒu hǎo.) - They are very friendly to us.
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of Speech: Adjective (hǎo), verb (hào)
Usage: As an adjective, describes something positive or desirable; as a verb, expresses liking or preference
Common Structures: 好+名词 (好人 - good person), 动词+好 (做好 - do well), 好+动词 (好看 - good-looking), 爱好+名词 (爱好音乐 - like music)
Notes: The character "好" is one of the most common and versatile characters in Chinese, with many different uses and meanings
6. Cultural Background
The character "好" has profound cultural significance in Chinese culture, representing ideals of goodness, harmony, and happiness.
The character is composed of "女" (nǚ - woman) and "子" (zǐ - child), symbolizing the traditional Chinese ideal of a happy family with a mother and child.
In Chinese philosophy, "好" is closely related to the concept of "善" (shàn - goodness) and is often used to describe moral virtues.
The character is also widely used in greetings and expressions of goodwill, such as "你好" (nǐ hǎo - hello) and "好运气" (hǎo yùn qì - good luck).
7. Example Sentence
Example 1 (Hǎo):
今天天气很好。(Jīn tiān tiān qì hěn hǎo.) - The weather is very nice today.
Example 2 (Hǎo):
我们是好朋友。(Wǒ men shì hǎo péng yǒu.) - We are good friends.
Example 3 (Hào):
他喜欢打篮球。(Tā xǐ huan dǎ lán qiú.) - He likes to play basketball.
8. Memory Tips
Structure Memory: "好" consists of "女" (nǚ - woman) and "子" (zǐ - child). Imagine a happy mother with her child, which represents the original meaning of "good" in Chinese culture.
Association Memory: Connect "好" with positive words like "好人" (good person), "好看" (good-looking), and "好吃" (delicious) to build associations.
Tone Memory: Remember that "好" has two tones: third tone (hǎo) for "good" and fourth tone (hào) for "like".
Common Phrases Memory: Learn common phrases containing "好" such as "你好" (nǐ hǎo - hello) and "早上好" (zǎo shang hǎo - good morning).
Cultural Memory: Remember the cultural significance of "好" as representing family harmony and moral goodness.