In Mandarin, hǎo 好 and máng 忙 are two high-frequency adjectives that describe very different qualities: one evaluates quality or desirability, and the other describes being occupied or having many tasks. Quickly grasping their meanings and typical uses will help you give more precise descriptions in everyday situations.
Hǎo 好
Hǎo 好 primarily means "good," "well," or "fine," and is used to evaluate quality, ability, or a positive state. It appears in simple descriptions, praise, and common set phrases. When describing things, people, or experiences, think of whether you are judging value or performance.
Common Uses of Hǎo 好
Adjective Placement with Hǎo 好
| Hanzi Character(s) | Pinyin Word(s) | English Translation(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ 今天天气很好。 | Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo. | The weather is very good today. | |
| 🍲 饭菜味道很好。 | Fàncài wèidào hěn hǎo. | The food tastes very good. | |
| 📚 这本书很好。 | Zhè běn shū hěn hǎo. | This book is very good. | |
| 😊 我感觉很好。 | Wǒ gǎnjué hěn hǎo. | I feel very good. | |
| 👍 你的建议很好。 | Nǐ de jiànyì hěn hǎo. | Your suggestion is very good. |
Máng 忙
Máng 忙 means "busy" and describes someone who is occupied with tasks, work, or activities, often with little free time. It applies mainly to people (and sometimes animals or businesses) rather than things or abstract qualities. Use it to talk about schedules, workload, and time pressure.
Talking About Schedules and Workload
Common Sentence Patterns with Máng 忙
| Hanzi Character(s) | Pinyin Word(s) | English Translation(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🧑💻 我今天很忙。 | Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng. | I am very busy today. | |
| 📅 他这个星期很忙。 | Tā zhège xīngqī hěn máng. | He is very busy this week. | |
| ☎️ 她忙着开会。 | Tā mángzhe kāihuì. | She is busy attending a meeting. | |
| 🏃 他们忙着准备活动。 | Tāmen mángzhe zhǔnbèi huódòng. | They are busy preparing for the event. | |
| ⏰ 我没时间，很忙。 | Wǒ méi shíjiān, hěn máng. | I have no time, very busy. |
Summary
Use hǎo 好 to signal that something is good, desirable, or functioning well, and use máng 忙 to describe being occupied or having many tasks. Remember that hǎo applies broadly to quality and evaluation, while máng focuses on time and activity.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025