好气 (hǎo qì) — good humor, good temper (colloquial) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

好气 (hǎo qì) is a colloquial noun for being in a good mood, used in everyday speech. Often negated as 没好气 ('not in a good mood') to describe someone irritable.

noun

good humorgood temper (colloquial)

Examples

好气，。
Tā jīn tiān hǎo xiàng méi hǎo qì, bié rě tā.
He seems not in a good mood today, don't bother him.
。
Tā yì zhěng tiān dōu yǒu hǎo hǎo qì.
She was in a good mood all day.
，好气。
Nǐ duì tā hǎo diǎn, tā cái néng yǒu hǎo qì.
Be nicer to him, then he will be in a good mood.

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.

气qìtemper

好 describes a pleasant state of 气, giving the sense of good humor or temper.

Characters in this word

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

女子好

女女nǚwoman
子子zǐchild

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

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

气qì氣qì

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

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