TongTong
Sign in

见好 (jiàn hǎo) — (of an illness) to get better; to show signs of improvement; to curry favor; to try to please

Definition

见好 is a separable verb with two distinct senses: the literal medical use ('the illness is getting better'), and a colloquial figurative use meaning 'to suck up / curry favor' (always in 见好 + person). Don't confuse the two.

verb
(of an illness) to get betterto show signs of improvementto curry favorto try to please

Examples

  • ，见好。
    Zhì liáo zhī hòu, tā de bìng qíng jiàn hǎo le.
    After treatment, his condition got better.
  • ，。
    Tā zǒng ài zài lǐng dǎo miàn qián jiàn hǎo, ràng rén hěn bù shū fu.
    He always tries to curry favor in front of the leader, which makes people uncomfortable.
  • ，。
    Zhè cì gǎn mào jiàn le hǎo, bú yòng dān xīn.
    This cold has gotten better, no need to worry.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

见jiànshow signs
好hǎoimprovement

见 means to show signs and 好 means improvement or goodwill, so the sense is showing improvement or trying to please.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 見; 见 is its simplified writing.

  • 目目mùeye
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The traditional form 見 pairs 目 (eye) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a kneeling figure with a large eye for a head. The simplified 见 is a later shorthand.

Open 见 →

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
Illness & Symptoms

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.