好
hou2
The English phrase "ok" can be expressed in Cantonese as 好 (hou2).
好 is used to provide acknowledgement or acceptance.
Meaning: acknowledgement or acceptance (intj)
Which one should you use?
While 好 is used for acknowledgement, it also functions as the standard adjective for "good" or "well".
How does it change in a sentence?
You can modify 好 with particles to change the tone. Adding the particle 呀 to make 好呀 makes the acknowledgement sound more enthusiastic or casual. Adding the particle 啦 to make 好啦 is often used to signal the conclusion of a discussion or to signal agreement to a suggestion. To turn the acknowledgement into a question to seek agreement or permission, use the phrase 好唔好？
How do you pronounce it?
hou2
Did you know?
- The character for 好 is composed of the radicals for 'woman' and 'child', historically suggesting that having a woman and child together was the definition of 'good' or 'ok'.
- In Cantonese, 好 can also mean 'very' when placed before an adjective, such as in 好熱 meaning 'very hot'.
- While 好 means 'ok' or 'good', you can express a reluctant or begrudging 'ok' by stretching the vowel and adding a sighing tone, which changes the social meaning without changing the word.
Examples in context
- 好囉 你贏晒啦OK, you win.This sentence shows how to use 好 to acknowledge a situation.Tatoeba #14038254 by loegunn, translation #2722194 by Hybrid
- 我哋飛的去啦，好冇？Let's go by taxi, OK?This sentence uses 好 within a question to seek agreement.Tatoeba #3868859 by nickyeow, translation #1290698 by CK
- 好啦，我聽日就買架車。OK, I'll buy a car tomorrow!This sentence demonstrates using 好 to signal agreement to a plan.Tatoeba #4826839 by kaenif, translation #4597877 by Ricardo14
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are deciding on a time to meet for lunch.
- 子健 Tsz Kin我哋十二點鐘見，好唔好？ngo5 dei6 sap6 yi2 dim2 zung1 gin3, hou2 m4 hou2?Let's meet at twelve o'clock, okay?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan好，到時見。hou2, dou3 si4 gin3.Ok, see you then.
- 子健 Tsz Kin喺公司門口等我。hai2 gung1 si1 mun4 hau2 dang2 ngo5.Wait for me at the company entrance.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan好，冇問題。hou2, mou5 man6 tai4.Ok, no problem.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
