Introduction
Asked how something was, Chinese speakers rarely gush. 还好 (hái hǎo), 还可以 (hái kěyǐ), 还行 (hái xíng), 还不错 (hái búcuò) — all four mean roughly "it's OK, not bad". The 还 (hái) here is not "still"; it is a dial that turns a compliment down to a comfortable, modest level.
Overview
Structure: Subj. + 还 (hái) + 好 (hǎo) / 可以 (kěyǐ) / 行 (xíng) / 不错 (búcuò)
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 还 + 好 | 还好。(Hái hǎo.) | It's OK. |
| 还 + 可以 | 还可以。(Hái kěyǐ.) | Not bad. |
| 还 + 行 | 还行。(Hái xíng.) | It'll do. |
| 还 + 不错 | 还不错。(Hái búcuò.) | Pretty good, actually. |
| Subj + 还 + Adj | 这个菜还不错。(Zhège cài hái búcuò.) | This dish is pretty good. |
How warm is each answer?
- 不太好。(Bú tài hǎo.) — Not great. A polite negative.
- 还好。(Hái hǎo.) ／ 还行。(Hái xíng.) — It's OK. Neutral, the safest reply there is.
- 还不错。(Hái búcuò.) — Pretty good. Genuine, mild praise.
- 很好。(Hěn hǎo.) ／ 太好了！(Tài hǎo le!) — Good. ／ Excellent! Full enthusiasm.
Examples
这个菜还不错。
Zhège cài hái búcuò.
This dish is pretty good.
我今天还好，不太累。
Wǒ jīntiān hái hǎo, bú tài lèi.
I'm all right today, not too tired.
我的中文还可以。
Wǒ de Zhōngwén hái kěyǐ.
My Chinese is all right.
这个价钱还行。
Zhège jiàqián hái xíng.
That price is acceptable.
今天的天气还不错。
Jīntiān de tiānqì hái búcuò.
The weather's pretty good today.
我的工作还好，不太忙。
Wǒ de gōngzuò hái hǎo, bú tài máng.
Work is fine, not too busy.
Usage Notes
- The 还 (hái) of 还在 (hái zài) means "still"; this one means "reasonably". Same character, two jobs — the word after it tells you which.
- 还不错 (hái búcuò) is the warmest of the four, even though it contains 不 (bù). 不错 literally means "not wrong", and it is a real compliment.
- 还可以 (hái kěyǐ) and 还行 (hái xíng) are the standard safe answers to 怎么样？(Zěnmeyàng?) — How is it?
- Tone: 错 (cuò) is 4th tone, so 不 becomes bú — 不错 is búcuò, and 还不错 is hái búcuò.
- 还好 (hái hǎo) has a second meaning, "luckily": 还好你来了。(Hái hǎo nǐ lái le.) — Luckily you came.