好
hǎo/xɑʊ̯²¹⁴/
In Chinese, the English phrase "okay" is expressed by 好 (hǎo).
In spoken Chinese, 好 is frequently used as a single-word response to confirm understanding or to agree to a suggestion.
Meaning: OK (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The character 好 literally means "good" or "well".
Which one should you use?
While 好 is a neutral or positive agreement, 好吧 is used when you are agreeing to something reluctantly or with a sense of resignation. In contrast, 行吧 is an informal way of saying 'okay' in Chinese used among friends.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, 好啦 or 好哦 might be used to say "okay".
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle 的 to make 好的 makes the agreement sound more polite, formal or certain, often used when accepting an instruction or a request.
How do you pronounce it?
hǎo
Did you know?
Examples in context
- 好，明天见！Okay, see you tomorrow!This sentence shows how to use 好 to confirm a future meeting.Tatoeba #10961164 by xjjAstrus, translation #13112404 by LeviHighway
- 好，我同意。Okay, I agree.This sentence demonstrates using 好 to express agreement.Tatoeba #13854242 by LeviHighway, translation #12880775 by rul
- 好吧，你赢了。Okay, you win.This sentence uses 好吧 to show a sense of resignation.Tatoeba #10449481 by GlossaMatik, translation #7264970 by Hybrid
- 你能帮我一下吗？(Nǐ néng bāng wǒ yīxià ma?) 好的。Can you help me for a moment? Okay.
- 我们需要你的签字。 好的，我会签字。We need your signature. Okay, I will sign.
- 你明天能来开会吗？(Nǐ míngtiān néng lái kāihuì ma?) 行，我会准时到。Can you come to the meeting tomorrow? Okay, I will be there on time.
- 我可以借你的笔用一下吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ jiè nǐ de bǐ yòng yīxià ma?) 可以，这是我的笔。May I borrow your pen for a moment? Okay, here is my pen.
- 我们下午去看电影，好吧？(Wǒmen xiàwǔ qù kàn diànyǐng, hǎo ba?) 好吧，听起来很有趣。We will go watch a movie this afternoon, okay? Okay, sounds interesting.
- 明天我们去爬山，好吧？(Míngtiān wǒmen qù páshān, hǎo ba?) 好吧，我喜欢户外活动。Tomorrow we go hiking, okay? Okay, I enjoy outdoor activities.
- 这个周末我们一起去购物，行吧？(Zhège zhōumò wǒmen yīqǐ qù gòuwù, xíng ba?) 行吧，我正好需要买些东西。Let's go shopping together this weekend, alright? Alright, I happen to need to buy some things.
- 你喜欢这件衣服吗？(Nǐ xǐhuān zhè jiàn yīfú ma?) 嗯，很合适。Do you like this piece of clothing? Uh-huh, it fits well.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are deciding on a place to eat.
- 伟 Wei我们去吃火锅吧？Wǒmen qù chī huǒguō ba?Shall we go eat hotpot?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好，听你的。Hǎo, tīng nǐ de.Okay, as you wish.
- 伟 Wei那我现在订位。Nà wǒ xiànzài dìng wèi.Then I will book a table now.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好，谢谢。Hǎo, xièxie.Okay, thanks.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 好, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 好, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
