好看

• Pinyin: hǎo kàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 好 (good) + 看 (to look) — good to look at, attractive

Meaning

Good-looking; attractive; nice to look at. Used for people, objects, scenery, and media.

A versatile adjective used for appearance (她很好看 = she's pretty), scenery (风景很好看), and entertainment (这部电影很好看 = this movie is great). The opposite is 难看 (ugly/bad-looking).

Examples

1. 这朵花很好看。 This flower is very pretty.
2. 她穿的衣服很好看。 The clothes she's wearing look great.
3. 这部电影好看吗？ Is this movie good?

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, appearance, entertainment

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 你今天穿得很好看。(You look great today.)
• 这本书很好看。(This book is a great read.)

Don't Say

• 这首歌很好看。(Songs are heard, not seen — use 好听 for music)

Origin & History

Compound of 好 (good) and 看 (to look) — literally 'good to look at'.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal