人很好
rén hěn hǎo
The Chinese phrase for "someone is kind" is 人很好 (rén hěn hǎo).
This phrase is used to describe a person's character or temperament as being pleasant, kind or easy to get along with.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "person very good".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 人很好, the word 很 (hěn) acts as a grammatical link between the subject and the adjective, even though it is often translated as "very".
How do you pronounce it?
rén hěn hǎo
Did you know?
- When describing someone as kind, Chinese speakers often use the phrase 心肠好 (heart-intestines good) to describe deep-seated generosity, as the intestines were historically seen as the seat of emotion.
- If you tell someone 你人很好 (you are a very kind person) during a romantic encounter, it can be a polite way of 'friend-zoning' them, signaling that you like their character but lack romantic attraction.
- The word 好 (good) is a phono-semantic compound combining the characters for 'woman' 女 and 'child' 子, suggesting that the original concept of 'goodness' was linked to motherhood.
Examples in context
- 他是一个非常仁慈的人，总是乐于助人。He is a very kind person and is always willing to help.
- 她待人友善，让我觉得很温暖。She is friendly towards others, which makes me feel warm.
- 他真是一个和蔼可亲的长者。He is truly an amiable and approachable elder.
- 他的老师人很好。Tā de lǎoshī rén hěn hǎo.His teacher is very kind.
- 新来的同事人很好。Xīn lái de tóngshì rén hěn hǎo.The new colleague is very kind.
Example conversation
Haoran is telling Jiayi about his new neighbor.
- 浩然 Haoran我新邻居人很好。Wǒ xīn línjū rén hěn hǎo.My new neighbor is very kind.
- 佳怡 Jiayi他帮你做了什么？Tā bāng nǐ zuòle shénme?What did he do to help you?
- 浩然 Haoran他帮我搬了行李。Tā bāng wǒ bānle xínglǐ.He helped me move my luggage.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那真是太好了。Nà zhēnshì tài hǎole.That's really great.
