讨好

• Pinyin: tǎo hǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 讨 = 讠(speech) + 寸 (inch); 好 = 女 (woman) + 子 (child) — good

Meaning

To curry favor; to ingratiate oneself; to try to please.

Usually carries a negative connotation of trying too hard to please someone, often for personal gain. Can also mean simply pleasing someone without ulterior motives, but the sycophantic sense is more common.

Examples

1. 他整天围着领导转，想方设法讨好，同事们都看不惯。 He's always hovering around the boss, trying every way to curry favor — his colleagues can't stand it.
2. 你不用刻意讨好任何人，做好自己的本职工作就行。 You don't need to deliberately try to please anyone — just do your job well.
3. 费尽心思讨好别人，最后却落得两头不讨好。 After going to great lengths to please others, you end up pleasing no one.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, relationships, social

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 他总是讨好上司。(He's always trying to curry favor with superiors.)
• 不必讨好所有人。(You don't need to please everyone.)

Don't Say

• 把真诚的友善说成'讨好' (Don't call genuine kindness 讨好 — that implies insincerity)

Origin & History

讨 means to seek, 好 means good favor — seeking someone's favor.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal