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好说 (hǎo shuō) — (colloquial) no problem, easy to deal with; (polite reply) you flatter me, it's nothing

Definition

好说 is a casual reply meaning 'no problem, easy to deal with' or a polite brush-off to a compliment ('you flatter me'). Use 没事/没关系 for 'it's okay' about an apology; use 不敢当 for a more formal, humble response to praise.

verb
(colloquial) no problemeasy to deal with(polite reply) you flatter meit's nothing

Examples

  • 好说，。
    Zhè jiàn shì hǎo shuō, bāo zài wǒ shēn shàng.
    This matter is no problem — leave it to me.
  • ，好说，。
    Nín tài kè qi le, hǎo shuō, zhè shì wǒ yīng gāi zuò de.
    You're too kind, you flatter me — this is what I should do.
  • 好说，。
    Nà ge wèn tí hǎo shuō, wǒ mǎ shàng bāng nǐ jiě jué.
    That problem is easy — I'll help you solve it right away.

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hǎoeasy
说shuōspeak

好 (easy) and 说 (speak) mean easy to talk about or a polite reply.

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 →

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 說; 说 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì說shuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 說 pairs 言 (meaning) with 兌 (sound); the simplified 说 is not the form described here.

Open 说 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Greetings & Politeness

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