好看
hǎokàn
The English phrase "good looking" is translated into Chinese as 好看 (hǎokàn).
好看 is used to describe someone who is physically attractive or pleasant to look at. It can also describe the aesthetic quality of objects, such as how a movie, a book or a piece of clothing looks.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 好 (good) and 看 (to look/to see).
Which one should you use?
While 好看 is a common way to say someone is good-looking, it is more casual and less intense than terms like 美丽 which implies "beautiful" or 帅 which specifically means "handsome."
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing a person's natural appearance, it is common to use the verb 长 (zhǎng) with the phrase to mean "to have the appearance of." For example, you might say 长得很好看 to mean someone "looks very good-looking."
How do you pronounce it?
hǎokàn
Did you know?
- While 好看 describes a person's looks, using it to describe a book or movie actually means the content is 'interesting' or 'enjoyable' rather than visually pretty.
- The character 好 in 好看 is a compound of the characters for 'woman' and 'child', which historically represented the ideal of a 'good' or 'beautiful' family unit.
- In traditional Chinese culture, describing a person as 好看 can sometimes feel too superficial, so people often use 耐看, which means a face that becomes more attractive the longer you look at it.
Examples in context
- 那個女孩長得很好看。That girl is good-looking.This sentence is useful for describing a girl as good-looking using the phrase 好看.Tatoeba #890438 by Martha, translation #890436 by Scott
- 汤姆是一个非常好看的男人。Tom is an extremely good-looking man.This sentence is useful for describing a man as being extremely good-looking using the phrase 好看.Tatoeba #8928633 by iiujik, translation #1093487 by CK
- 这件衣服很好看。Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn hǎokàn.This piece of clothing looks good.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a movie star in a cafe.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你觉得那个演员好看吗？Nǐ juéde nàge yǎnyuán hǎokàn ma?Do you think that actor is good looking?
- 伟 Wei他长得很帅，确实很好看。Tā zhǎng de hěn shuài, quèshí hěn hǎokàn.He is very handsome, he is indeed good looking.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我也这么觉得。Wǒ yě zhème juéde.I think so too.
- 伟 Wei他的眼睛特别好看。Tā de yǎnjīng tèbié hǎokàn.His eyes are especially good looking.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
