Two Functions of 好 hǎo and 难 nán

Table of Contents

Grammar Point:
In Chinese, the characters 好 hǎo and 難难 nán can be used as prefixes to form compounds that express ideas of good and bad, or ease and difficulty.

Good and Bad

好看hǎokàn好看hǎokàn	Good-looking/Interesting
難看nánkàn难看nánkàn	Ugly
好吃hǎochī好吃hǎochī	Delicious
難吃nánchī难吃nánchī	Tastes bad
好聽hǎotīng好听hǎotīng	Pleasant to listen to
難聽nántīng难听nántīng	Unpleasant to listen to

他tā唱歌chànggē真的zhēnde很hěn難聽nántīng他tā唱歌chànggē真的zhēnde很hěn难听nántīng
His singing is really unpleasant to listen to.

他tā做zuò的de飯fàn非常fēicháng好吃hǎochī他tā做zuò的de饭fàn非常fēicháng好吃hǎochī
The food he makes is very delicious.

這zhè咖啡kāfēi好hǎo難喝nánhē，，怎麼zěnme這麼zhème苦kǔ这zhè咖啡kāfēi好hǎo难喝nánhē，，怎么zěnme这么zhèyāo苦kǔ
This coffee tastes awful; why is it so bitter?
(Note that the character 好 hǎo in this sentence is an adverb that means “really.”)

你nǐ推薦tuījiàn的de電影diànyǐng很hěn好看hǎokàn你nǐ推荐tuījiàn的de电影diànyǐng很hěn好看hǎokàn
The movie you recommended is really good.

Ease and Difficulty

好懂hǎodǒng好懂hǎodǒng	Easy to understand
難懂nándǒng难懂nándǒng	Difficult to understand
好吃hǎochī好吃hǎochī	Easy to eat
難吃nánchī难吃nánchī	Difficult to eat
好學hǎoxué好学hǎoxué	Easy to learn
難學nánxué难学nánxué	Difficult to learn

中文zhōngwén很hěn好學hǎoxué，英文yīngwén很hěn難學nánxué中文zhōngwén很hěn好学hǎoxué，英文yīngwén很hěn难学nánxué
Chinese is easy to learn, but English is hard to learn.

你nǐ覺得juéde蛋糕dàngāo好做hǎozuò嗎ma？你nǐ觉得juéde蛋糕dàngāo好做hǎozuò吗ma？
Do you think making a cake is easy?

我wǒ的de名字míngzi不bù難寫nánxiě，很hěn簡單jiǎndān我wǒ的de名字míngzi不bù难写nánxiě，很hěn简单jiǎndān
My name is not hard to write; it’s very simple.

你nǐ說shuō的de話huà很hěn難懂nándǒng你nǐ说shuō的de话huà很hěn难懂nándǒng
What you said is hard to understand.

How do you know which meaning it has?

Judging by the context, there’s no other way.

螃蟹pángxiè很hěn難吃nánchī可是kěshì很hěn好吃hǎochī螃蟹pángxiè很hěn难吃nánchī可是kěshì很hěn好吃hǎochī
Crabs are hard to eat, but they’re delicious.

Do you like it? 🙂