友好

yǒu hǎo

Youhao district of Yichun city 市, Heilongjiang

HSK 4

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"友好" (yǒu hǎo) primarily means "friendly" or "amicable." It is often used to describe relationships between people, groups, or countries that are characterized by kindness, goodwill, and cooperation.

Common Contexts

You will frequently see "友好" in contexts such as international relations (e.g., 友好关系 - friendly relations), interpersonal interactions (e.g., 友好态度 - friendly attitude), and social environments (e.g., 友好 - friendly atmosphere).

Collocations and Patterns

  • 友好关系 (yǒuhǎo guānxì): friendly relations, often used in diplomacy or social contexts.
  • 友好态度 (yǒuhǎo tàidu): friendly attitude, describing someone's manner.
  • 友好合作 (yǒuhǎo hézuò): friendly cooperation, emphasizing collaboration.

Nuances

Using "友好" implies a positive, warm, and cooperative stance. It is more formal and polite than casual words like "" (good) or "亲切" (kind). Avoid confusing "友好" with "友谊" (friendship), which refers more to the emotional bond rather than the quality of interaction.

Summary

"友好" is a versatile adjective useful for describing positive interpersonal or international relationships. It conveys warmth and goodwill and is common in both spoken and written Chinese.

Example Sentences

两国保持友好关系非常重要。

Liǎng guó bǎochí yǒuhǎo guānxì fēicháng zhòngyào.

It is very important for the two countries to maintain friendly relations.

他对待同事总是很友好。

Tā duìdài tóngshì zǒng shì hěn yǒuhǎo.

He is always very friendly to his colleagues.

我们需要建立一个友好的工作环境。

Wǒmen xūyào jiànlì yīgè yǒuhǎo de gōngzuò huánjìng.

We need to create a friendly working environment.