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好好先生 (Hǎo hǎo xiān sheng) — someone who tries to please everyone; a yes-man

Definition

A 'yes-man' — someone who agrees with everyone and never pushes back, often criticized as weak or insincere. Translates as 'good-good Mr.', a set noun phrase (often 当 or 是).

noun
someone who tries to please everyonea yes-man
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 好好先生，。
    Nǐ zài gōng zuò zhōng bié dāng Hǎo hǎo xiān sheng, gāi fǎn duì jiù fǎn duì.
    Don't be a yes-man at work; oppose things when you should.
  • 好好先生，。
    Tā zhè ge rén shì gè Hǎo hǎo xiān sheng, cóng lái bù shuō bié rén de quē diǎn.
    He is a person who tries to please everyone; he never points out others' faults.
  • 好好先生，。
    Dà jiā dōu jiào tā Hǎo hǎo xiān sheng, yīn wèi tā duì shuí dōu shuō hǎo.
    Everyone calls him a 'good-good Mr.' because he says 'good' to everybody.

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.

好好good good
好hǎogood好hǎogood
重叠Reduplication
先生teacher or gentleman
先xiānfirst生shēngborn
偏正Modifier + head

好好 suggests always good, and 先生 denotes a teacher or gentleman; together they label someone who tries to please everyone.

Characters in this word

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 →

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 →

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

先 combines 止 (foot) and 儿 (person) to show someone moving forward.

Open 先 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →
Appears in
Personality & Traits

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