良好

• Pinyin: liáng hǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 良 = originally a pictograph of sorting grain to select the best — good, virtuous; 好 = 女 (woman) + 子 (child) — good

Meaning

Good; fine; favourable. A slightly formal adjective describing a satisfactory or positive condition.

More formal than 好 and less emphatic than 优秀 (excellent). Commonly used in official or semi-formal contexts to describe conditions, relationships, habits, or results. Frequently appears in: 良好的习惯 (good habits), 良好的关系 (good relations), 状态良好 (in good condition), 成绩良好 (good grades).

Examples

1. 养成良好的学习习惯非常重要。 Developing good study habits is very important.
2. 两国之间保持着良好的合作关系。 The two countries maintain a good cooperative relationship.
3. 这辆车虽然旧了，但状态良好。 Although this car is old, it's in good condition.

Usage Guide

Context: official reports, evaluations, descriptions, academic

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他的表现一直很良好。(His performance has always been good.)
• 保持良好的心态是成功的关键。(Maintaining a positive mindset is the key to success.)

Don't Say

• 今天天气良好，我们去玩吧 (Too formal for casual conversation about weather — just say 今天天气很好 in everyday speech)

Origin & History

Composed of 良 (good, virtuous — originally depicting grain selection, picking the good ones) and 好 (good, fine). The combination creates a more formal, measured expression of goodness.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal