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也好 (yě hǎo) — (particle) that's fine, may as well; (particle, reduplicated) whether...or..., regardless of whether...or...

Definition

也好 (yě hǎo) softens a clause to mean 'that's fine' or 'may as well' — often reduplicated as …也好，…也好 to mean 'whether … or …, either way'. It marks a concessive or resigned attitude, not a completed action like the sentence-final particle 了.

particle
that's finemay as well(particle, reduplicated) whether...or...regardless of whether...or...

Examples

  • 也好，。
    Nǐ bú qù yě hǎo, wǒ lǐ jiě.
    It's fine if you don't go; I understand.
  • 也好，。
    Wǒ men shì shì yě hǎo, shuō bú dìng néng xíng.
    We may as well try; it might work.
  • 也好，。
    Nǐ bù xiǎng chī yě hǎo, bié miǎn qiǎng.
    It's fine if you don't want to eat; don't force yourself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

也yěalso
好hǎogood

也 adds the sense of also, and 好 means good, so together they say something is also good and acceptable.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

也 originally showed a child crying with an open mouth, with the arms later dropped and the parts fused.

Open 也 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

好 joins 女 (woman) and 子 (child), understood as a woman with a child, linked to goodness or affection.

Open 好 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6

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