Kilo Lingo

(liáng hǎo) - good, favourable, satisfactory in Mandarin

liánghǎo

Traditional: 良好

#2712 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

good, favourable, satisfactory

Word origin

A compound of 良 (liáng, fine, virtuous) and 好 (hǎo, good), two positive characters paired to give a formal written adjective.

Origin
compound
Root
良 (liáng, fine) + 好 (hǎo, good)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 良

Stroke order for 好

Examples

He has good study habits.

The two countries maintain good relations.

This machine is in good condition.

His grade is good, not excellent.

A good start is half the battle.

良好 (liánghǎo) is the formal, written "good". It belongs to school reports, medical notes, machine inspections, diplomatic statements and company reviews. The pairings are fixed and worth memorising as blocks: 良好的习惯, 良好的关系, 良好的环境, 状态良好.

In the Chinese grading system it also has a precise value. Marks run 优秀, 良好, 及格, 不及格, so 良好 is roughly a B: good, but explicitly not the top band. That specificity is invisible if you only learn it as "good", and it explains the slightly cool feel the word has.

The trap is using it in conversation. If a friend asks how the food was, the answer is 很好吃 or 不错, never 良好. Saying 这个菜很良好 is like appraising a plate of noodles in the register of a surveyor's report. Keep 良好 for writing and for anything with a form to fill in, and let 好 and 不错 handle real life.

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Mandarin · Free printables

良好: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "良好" (good, favourable, satisfactory): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

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This word is part of lesson 55.