好 + Verb (easy to)

Chinese Grammar Basic Chinese ★★★★ 4/5 neutral hǎo
拼音 hǎo
结构 Subject + (很) 好 + Verb
汉字拆解 好 = 女 (woman) + 子 (child)

含义

When 好 (hǎo) is placed before a verb, it means 'easy to' do that action. This is different from 好 meaning 'good' — here it indicates the ease or pleasantness of performing the verb.

The pattern 好 + Verb functions as an adjective describing something as easy or pleasant to do. Common examples include 好吃 (delicious, easy/pleasant to eat), 好看 (good-looking, pleasant to look at), 好听 (nice-sounding, pleasant to listen to), and 好用 (easy to use). This is the opposite of 难 + Verb, which means 'hard to.' Note that 好 + Verb compounds are usually used as adjectives to describe nouns or as predicates, not as standalone verb phrases. Learners sometimes confuse this with 好 as an adverb meaning 'very' in colloquial speech, but the structures are different.

例句

  1. 这首歌真好听。
  2. 这种水果很好吃。
  3. 这本书很好懂。

用法指南

语境: spoken, everyday

语气: descriptive

正确说法

  • 这个软件很好用。
  • 这件衣服很好洗。
  • 这把椅子很好坐。

错误说法

  • 这个菜好吃了。(Do not add 了 directly after 好 + Verb when describing a general quality — 了 implies a change, use 很好吃 for a simple description) → 这个菜很好吃。
  • 我好吃这个菜。(好 + Verb describes the object, not the subject's action — the subject should be the thing being described, not the person) → 这个菜很好吃。

起源与历史

The use of 好 to mean 'easy to' comes from its core meaning of 'good.' Something that is 'good to eat' naturally implies it is pleasant and easy to eat. This semantic extension from quality to ease is found across many Chinese adjective-verb compounds.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal

相关短语

Phrase + 的 (noun modifier) The structural particle 的 (de) connects a modifying phrase to a noun, similar to English relative clauses or adjective phrases. Any phrase placed before 的 acts as a modifier for the noun that follows. Verb + 一下 (briefly) Adding 一下 (yīxià) after a verb softens the action, indicating it will be done briefly, casually, or just a little. It makes requests sound more polite and less demanding. 了 (completion) The particle 了 (le) placed after a verb indicates that an action has been completed. It marks a change of state or signals that something has happened. 会 / 能 / 可以 (can) Chinese has three words for 'can': 会 (huì) for learned abilities and future likelihood, 能 (néng) for physical ability and circumstances, and 可以 (kěyǐ) for permission. Choosing the right one depends on the type of ability being expressed. 在 + Verb (progressive) The particle 在 (zài) is placed before a verb to indicate that an action is currently in progress. It functions similarly to the English present continuous tense (-ing form). Verb + Adj. (result complement) A result complement is an adjective or verb placed directly after the main verb to describe the result or outcome of the action. Together they form a tight verb-complement compound. Verb + 完 (finishing) The complement 完 (wán) placed after a verb indicates that the action has been completed or finished entirely. It emphasizes that the action reached its end point. Verb + 给 (transfer) When 给 (gěi) follows a verb, it indicates that the action results in something being transferred to someone. The pattern specifies both the action and the recipient.
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