Mandarin

Question 1

好 - hǎo (hao3)

Answer 1

good; well

你好嗎？／你好吗？  ―  Nǐ hǎo ma?  ―  How are you?
你好嗎？／你好吗？ [Cantonese]  ―  nei5 hou2 maa3? [Jyutping]  ―  How are you?
真是個好主意！／真是个好主意！  ―  Zhēn shì ge hǎo zhǔyì!  ―  That's a good idea!

Used as an interjection.

good; very well; nice
OK; alright

    好，明天見。／好，明天见。  ―  Hǎo, míngtiān jiàn.  ―  OK, see you tomorrow.

    好，我們今天就到這裡。 [MSC, trad.]
    好，我们今天就到这里。 [MSC, simp.]
        Hǎo, wǒmen jīntiān jiù dào zhèli. [Pinyin]
        Alright, we will stop here today.

fine

friendly; close; acquainted

好朋友  ―  hǎo péngyǒu  ―  good friend
他們對我很好。／他们对我很好。  ―  Tāmen duì wǒ hěn hǎo.  ―  They are very kind to me.

(specifically) to start dating; to become romantic partners

他倆好上了。／他俩好上了。  ―  Tā liǎ hǎo shàng le.  ―  They are in a relationship.

done; ready

我就要好了。  ―  Wǒ jiù yào hǎo le.  ―  I'll be ready very soon.

to be good to; easy to

這水龍頭好擰。／这水龙头好拧。  ―  Zhè shuǐlóngtóu hǎo nǐng.  ―  This tap turns easily.
這事兒不好辦。／这事儿不好办。  ―  Zhè shìr bù hǎo bàn.  ―  This matter is not easy to deal with.

(making it) convenient; easy for

把東西收拾乾淨，我好打掃房間。 [MSC, trad.]
把东西收拾干净，我好打扫房间。 [MSC, simp.]
    Bǎ dōngxī shōushí qiánjìng, wǒ hǎo dǎsǎo fángjiān. [Pinyin]
    Put stuff away so that I can clean the room.

他們用鏡子反射陽光，好讓救援飛機發現。 [MSC, trad.]
他们用镜子反射阳光，好让救援飞机发现。 [MSC, simp.]
    Tāmen yòng jìngzǐ fǎnshè yángguāng, hǎo ràng jiùyuán fēijī fāxiàn. [Pinyin]
    They used a mirror to reflect sunlight and help the search-and-rescue aircraft find them.

to recover from an illness

佢病咗幾個月都仲未好。 [Cantonese, trad.]
佢病咗几个月都仲未好。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    keoi5 beng6 zo2 gei2 go3 jyut6 dou1 zung6 mei6 hou2. [Jyutping]
    He's been sick for several months and still hasn't recovered.

好返 [Cantonese]  ―  hou2 faan1 [Jyutping]  ―  to get better; to recover; to heal

(somewhat dialectal) very; quite; rather; so

我好興奮啊！／我好兴奋啊！  ―  Wǒ hǎo xīngfèn a!  ―  I'm so excited!
好幾天／好几天  ―  hǎo jǐ tiān  ―  quite a few days

我個中文老師好好人㗎！ [Guangzhou Cantonese, trad.]
我个中文老师好好人㗎！ [Guangzhou Cantonese, simp.]
    ngo5 go3 zung1 man4-2 lou5 si1 hou2 hou2 jan4 gaa3! [Jyutping]
    My Chinese teacher is a very nice person!

我唔係好鍾意你噉做。 [Cantonese, trad.]
我唔系好钟意你噉做。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    ngo5 m4 hai6 hou2 zung1 ji3 nei5 gam2 zou6. [Jyutping]
    I don't really like you doing it that way.

潮州話好好學。潮州話好惡學。 [Teochew, trad.]
潮州话好好学。潮州话好恶学。 [Teochew, simp.]
    From: [1]
    diê5 ziu1 uê7 hoh4 ho2 oh8. diê5 ziu1 uê7 hoh4 oh4 oh8. [Peng'im]
    Teochew is very easy to learn. Teochew is very hard to learn.

a pleasure to (do something); good for (doing something)

好吃  ―  hǎochī  ―  delicious
好用  ―  hǎoyòng  ―  a joy to use
好聽／好听  ―  hǎotīng  ―  pleasant-sounding

呢把刀幾好使。 [Cantonese, trad.]
呢把刀几好使。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    ni1 baa2 dou1 gei2 hou2 sai2. [Jyutping]
    This knife is pretty good to use.

properly; carefully

記得帶好雨具！／记得带好雨具！  ―  Jìdé dài hǎo yǔjù!  ―  Remember to bring along rain gear! / Make sure your rain gear is on you!
聽好了！／听好了！  ―  Tīng hǎo le!  ―  Now listen carefully!
食好瞓好／食好𰥛好 [Cantonese]  ―  sik6 hou2 fan3 hou2 [Jyutping]  ―  eat well and sleep well
做好功課／做好功课 [Cantonese]  ―  zou6 hou2 gung1 fo3 [Jyutping]  ―  to do one's homework (as one should)

Particle used after verbs to denote the completion or near-completion of an action.

作業做好了嗎？／作业做好了吗？  ―  Zuòyè zuò hǎo le ma?  ―  Have you finished your homework?

Used after a noun or pronoun as a greeting.

你好  ―  nǐ hǎo  ―  hello
大家好  ―  dàjiā hǎo  ―  hello, everyone
老師好／老师好  ―  lǎoshī hǎo  ―  hello, teacher

greeting

問好／问好  ―  wènhǎo  ―  say hello

替我給你媽帶個好兒。 [MSC, trad.]
替我给你妈带个好儿。 [MSC, simp.]
    Tì wǒ gěi nǐ mā dài ge hǎor. [Pinyin]
    Say hi for me to your mom.

Particle denoting agreement, support or wish to terminate a conversation.
Particle denoting dissatisfaction in ironical sentences.
such; what

好一朵美麗的茉莉花。 [MSC, trad.]
好一朵美丽的茉莉花。 [MSC, simp.]
    From: 18ᵗʰ century ᴄᴇ, Molihua, a Jiangnan folk song
    Hǎo yī duǒ měilì de mòlìhuā. [Pinyin]
    What a beautiful jasmine.

(dialectal) can; should

我好進來嗎？／我好进来吗？  ―  Wǒ hǎo jìnlái ma?  ―  Can I come in?

十二點喇，好去瞓覺喇。 [Cantonese, trad.]
十二点喇，好去𰥛觉喇。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    sap6 ji6 dim2 laa3, hou2 heoi3 fan3 gaau3 laa3. [Jyutping]
    It's twelve now. You should go to bed.

噉都好拗？ [Cantonese]  ―  gam2 dou1 hou2 aau3? [Jyutping]  ―  You are really arguing about this? (literally, “That can be argued?”)

勿認得路末倷勿好問訊個？ [Suzhounese, trad.]
勿认得路末倷勿好问讯个？ [Suzhounese, simp.]
    Could you not just ask if you don't know the way?

(Southwestern Mandarin, Xiang) how (to what degree)
(rail transport) cleared