Keywords: bùhǎo, bu hao pinyin, 不好 meaning, how to say not good in Chinese, Chinese for bad, what does buhao mean, buhao vs buhaoyisi, Chinese awkward, expressing negativity in Chinese, HSK 1 vocabulary.
Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 不好 (bùhǎo), which means “not good” or “bad.” This guide goes beyond a simple translation, exploring how 不好 is used to describe quality, express that you're not feeling well, and even to convey that a situation is awkward or difficult. Understand the critical difference between 不好 (bùhǎo) and 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) to avoid common mistakes and communicate more naturally. This is a foundational word for every beginner learning Mandarin.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): bù hǎo
Part of Speech: Adjective / Adverb
HSK Level: HSK 1
Concise Definition: A direct negation of “good,” meaning “not good” or “bad.”
In a Nutshell:不好 (bùhǎo) is one of the most fundamental and versatile negative terms in Mandarin. It's formed by simply placing the negative particle 不 (bù) before 好 (hǎo), “good.” At its core, it describes something of poor quality, a negative situation, or a state of being unwell. However, its usage extends to more nuanced situations, like expressing that something is difficult to do or awkward to say, making it an incredibly useful word in daily conversation.
Character Breakdown
不 (bù): This character is the primary negator in Chinese, meaning “not” or “no.” It's a simple, foundational character used to make countless words and sentences negative.
好 (hǎo): This character famously depicts a 女 (nǚ), a woman, next to a 子 (zǐ), a child. Together, they traditionally represent the concept of “goodness,” harmony, and completeness. It's the standard word for “good” or “okay.”
When combined, 不好 (bùhǎo) literally means “not good.” The logic is direct and easy for beginners to grasp. It takes the universal concept of “good” and simply negates it.
Cultural Context and Significance
In Chinese culture, maintaining social harmony and preserving “face” or 面子 (miànzi) is often prioritized over blunt, direct communication. 不好 (bùhǎo) plays a key role in this social dynamic.
While an American might say, “This movie is terrible!” or “Your idea is awful,” a Chinese speaker might opt for a softer, more indirect criticism like, “这个电影不好看 (Zhège diànyǐng bù hǎo kàn)” — literally, “This movie is not good to watch.” or “你这个想法不好 (Nǐ zhège xiǎngfǎ bù hǎo)” — “This idea of yours is not good.”
This seemingly mild statement can carry the weight of strong disapproval. Using 不好 instead of a harsher word like 糟糕 (zāogāo - terrible) or 差 (chà - poor) allows the speaker to express a negative opinion without causing the other person to lose face. For a learner, it's important to understand that a simple 不好 from a native speaker can be a significant and serious critique.
Practical Usage in Modern China
不好 is extremely common and used in various contexts:
Describing Quality: This is its most straightforward use, for objects, food, experiences, etc.
e.g., “This restaurant's food is not good.” (这家饭馆的菜不好吃。)
Describing a State or Condition: Used for weather, health, or abstract situations.
e.g., “I'm not feeling well today.” (我今天身体不好。)
e.g., “His temper is very bad.” (他的脾气很不好。)
Expressing Difficulty or Inconvenience (不好 + Verb): This is a key structure that means “hard to…” or “not easy to…”.
e.g., 不好办 (bù hǎo bàn): Difficult to handle.
e.g., 不好说 (bù hǎo shuō): Hard to say; difficult to explain.
Expressing Awkwardness to Perform an Action: Similar to the above, it can mean something is socially awkward or inappropriate to do.
e.g., “It's awkward for me to ask him directly.” (我不好直接问他。) This implies it would be inappropriate or uncomfortable, not that it's physically difficult.