好看 (hǎokàn) — good-looking
HSK 1 | adjective | pleasant to look at, applies broadly to people and things
好看 (hǎokàn)
An adjective meaning pleasant to look at or good-looking. Unlike 漂亮 (piàoliang), which focuses on striking human beauty, 好看 is broader and more neutral. It can describe scenery, clothes, objects, movies, and people. Think of 好看 as "nice to look at" and 漂亮 as "beautiful/pretty."
Meanings
- [adjective] Good-looking, pleasant to look at (for people, objects, scenery, or media).
- [adjective] Interesting, worth watching (for films, books, or shows).
Example Sentences
这部电影很好看，你一定要看。 Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn hǎokàn, nǐ yīdìng yào kàn. This movie is really good, you must watch it.
你今天穿的颜色很好看。 Nǐ jīntiān chuān de yánsè hěn hǎokàn. The color you are wearing today looks very nice.
那个公园的风景非常好看。 Nàge gōngyuán de fēngjǐng fēicháng hǎokàn. The scenery in that park is very beautiful.
她长得挺好看的，但我觉得她妹妹更漂亮。 Tā zhǎng de tǐng hǎokàn de, dàn wǒ juéde tā mèimei gèng piàoliang. She looks quite nice, but I think her younger sister is more beautiful.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 很好看 (hěn hǎokàn) | very nice-looking |
| 好看的书 (hǎokàn de shū) | an interesting book |
| 不好看 (bù hǎokàn) | not good-looking, ugly |
| 好看极了 (hǎokàn jí le) | looks absolutely great |
| 看起来好看 (kàn qǐlái hǎokàn) | looks good (by appearance) |
Memory Hook
好 means "good" and 看 means "look/watch." Put them together: good to look at. The literal meaning is the actual meaning, making 好看 one of the most transparent compounds in Chinese.