好
hou2
The Cantonese word for "nice" is 好 (hou2).
好 is used to express that something or someone is attractive or friendly.
Meaning: attractive, friendly (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 好人 (hou2 jan4) literally means "good person" and is used to describe a person who is nice in terms of their character.
Which one should you use?
While 好 can mean "nice" regarding character or quality, if you want to say that someone or something is specifically visually attractive or "nice looking," you should use 好靚 (hou2 leng3).
How do you pronounce it?
hou2
When do people say it?
The phrase 靚仔靚女萬歲 is used jokingly in a group setting.
Did you know?
- The character 好 is composed of the radicals for 'woman' and 'child', symbolizing the ancient concept of 'goodness' through the harmony of a family.
- In Cantonese, calling someone a 好人 (hou2 jan4) can sometimes sound patronizing, as if you are describing a person who is kind but perhaps a bit dull or naive.
- When someone says 好唔好 (hou2 m4 hou2), they are not asking if something is 'nice or not nice', but are instead asking for your agreement or preference, like saying 'is that okay?'
Examples in context
- 你間房好靚喎。You have a very nice room.This sentence shows how to use 好 to describe a room.Tatoeba #7909784 by nickyeow, translation #2644183 by CK
- 如果你嚟到就好喇。It would be nice if you could come.This sentence demonstrates the use of 好 in a conditional context.Tatoeba #5797622 by nickyeow, translation #5266037 by Cithara
- 你點解對我咁好嘅？Why are you this nice to me?This sentence shows how to use 好 when asking about someone's kindness towards you.Tatoeba #6103485 by nickyeow, translation #2811838 by xylian
- 這間餐廳的環境好好。The environment of this restaurant is really nice.
- 你張相真靚！Your photo looks really nice!
- 呢個菜好靚好好食！This dish looks so nice and delicious!
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ka Yan and Zi Jian are talking about a new colleague.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan你覺得新同事點？nei5 gok3 dak1 san1 tung4 si4 dim2?What do you think of the new colleague?
- 子健 Tsz Kin佢個人好似好似好好喎。keoi5 go3 jan4 hou2 ci5 hou2 hou2 wo3.He seems like a very nice person.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan係，佢對每個人都好。hai6, keoi5 deoi3 mui5 go3 jan4 dou1 hou2.Yes, he is nice to everyone.
- 子健 Tsz Kin希望佢快啲適應環境。hei1 mong6 keoi5 faai3 di1 sik1 jing3 waan2 ging2.I hope he adjusts to the environment quickly.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
