适合 vs 合适 (suitable)

• Pinyin: shìhé / héshì
• Formation: Subject + 适合 + Object / Subject + (很) + 合适
• Hanzi breakdown: 适 = 辶 (walk) + 啇 (suitable); 合 = 人 (person) + 一 (one) + 口 (mouth)

Meaning

Both 适合 (shìhé) and 合适 (héshì) relate to suitability, but they function differently: 适合 is a verb meaning 'to suit' or 'to be suitable for,' while 合适 is an adjective meaning 'suitable' or 'appropriate.'

The core distinction is grammatical: 适合 is a verb and takes an object directly, while 合适 is an adjective and cannot take an object. 适合 answers 'suits whom or what' and 合适 answers 'is it suitable or appropriate.' Because 合适 is an adjective, it can be modified by 很, 不太, 特别 and other degree adverbs. While 适合 can also be modified by degree adverbs, it must still be followed by an object or used within a subject-topic structure. A common learner mistake is using 合适 with a direct object, which is grammatically incorrect. In questions, 合适不合适 asks whether something is appropriate in general, while 适合不适合 asks whether something suits a specific person or situation.

Examples

1. 这种运动不太适合老年人。 This type of exercise is not very suitable for elderly people.
2. 这双鞋的尺码非常合适。 These shoes are a perfect fit in terms of size.
3. 你觉得她适合做管理工作吗？ Do you think she is suited for management work?

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这个方案不适合我们目前的情况。
• 他觉得这份薪资待遇很合适。
• 潮湿的气候特别适合种植水稻。
• 你看看这个时间安排合适不合适。

Don't Say

• 这件衣服很合适她。(合适 is an adjective and cannot take a direct object — use 适合 instead: 这件衣服很适合她) → 这件衣服很适合她。
• 这个工作适合。(适合 is a verb and requires an object — either add the object or use 合适: 这个工作很合适) → 这个工作很合适。

Origin & History

适合 and 合适 are composed of the same two characters 适 (suitable) and 合 (to fit) in reversed order. This character-swapping phenomenon is common in Chinese, where reversing the order changes the grammatical function — 适合 behaves as a verb while 合适 behaves as an adjective.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal