Character etymology for Elementary - Keys, Wallet, Phone 好

mandarinboy

September 13, 2008, 04:44 PM posted in General Discussion

Since it is a very useful word,好, we take that as well today.

Character: 好

Traditional form: 好  

Pinyin: hǎo

Meaning:  good, excellent, fine; well

Frequency: 81

Strokes: 6

Decomposition:

女 nǚ(woman) + 子 zǐ (child) 

Radical part: 女 nǚ

Radical meaning: woman

Stroke animation: (the strokes are drawn the direction the picture is tipping)

 

 

 

Etymology: 

In the first oracle inscriptions it is very easy to see the woman kneeling and holding her child. A mother taking care of her child is a good thing. It is also good for the man to have both wife and child. Other plausible explanations are that is that the most excellent possession a man can have is a wife and child.

Link to nciku usage of the character 好(examples, sound etc)

 :

 :

http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E5%A5%BD/1305834

Example words

最好 zuì hǎo best / (you) had better (do what we suggest) 

更好 gèng hǎo better / more 

好像 hǎo xiàng as if / to seem like 

美好 měi hǎo happy / fine / OK 

爱好 ài hào to like / to be fond of / to be keen on / interest / hobby 

好多 hǎo duō many / quite a lot / much better 

好玩 hǎo wán fun (to do) 

好看 hǎo kàn good-looking 

好久 hǎo jiǔ quite a while 

看好 kàn hǎo optimistic (about the outcome) / bullish / to think highly of / to support 

好几 hǎo jǐ several / quite a few 

爱好者 ài hào zhě lover (of art, sports etc) / amateur / enthusiast / fan 

还好 hái hǎo not bad / tolerable / fortunately 

好吃 hǎo chī tasty / delicious 

友好 yǒu hǎo friendly (relations) 

好听 hǎo tīng pleasant to hear 

好笑 hǎo xiào laughable / funny / ridiculous 

好运 hǎo yùn good luck 

不太好 bù tài hǎo not so good / not too well 

准备好了 zhǔn bèi hǎo le to be ready 

好意 hǎo yì good intention / kindness 

好喝 hǎo hē tasty (drinks) 

好话 hǎo huà words of praise / to speak well of 

早上好 zǎo shang hǎo good morning 

好久不见 hǎo jiǔ bu jiàn Long time no see 

好记 hǎo jì easy to remember 

好玩儿 hǎo wán er interesting / delightful / amusing 

安好 ān hǎo safe and sound / well 

好半天 hǎo bàn tiān most of the day 

有好奇心 yǒu hào qí xīn curious