很棒
hěn bàng
Great
很棒 (hěn bàng) is a common way to say "great" in Mandarin Chinese, meaning excellent, awesome, or fantastic. It's used to praise something or someone's performance or idea.
What does 很棒 (hěn bàng) mean?
很棒 (hěn bàng) means “great” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “very awesome/excellent.”
When to use it
Neutral. For stronger enthusiasm, use 太棒了 (tài bàng le). You can also just say 棒！ (bàng!) as a simple exclamation. For "great" in the sense of "big" or "important," you would use different words like 伟大 (wěidà, "great, magnificent") or 巨大 (jùdà, "huge, enormous").
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "hun BUNG." The "hun" is a rising tone, and "BUNG" is a falling tone.
Other ways to say it
- 太棒了tài bàng leawesome! fantastic! (more enthusiastic)
- 真棒zhēn bàngreally great! (also enthusiastic)
- 棒！bàng!Great! Awesome! (as an exclamation)
Examples
你的想法很棒！
nǐ de xiǎngfǎ hěn bàng!
Your idea is great!
这个表演太棒了！
zhège biǎoyǎn tài bàng le!
This performance is awesome!
你做得真棒！
nǐ zuò de zhēn bàng!
You did a really great job!
Pro tip: You can often use just 棒！ (bàng!) as a simple, enthusiastic exclamation meaning "Great!" or "Awesome!" when reacting to something positive, similar to "Cool!"
Related phrases
最好的朋友 · Best friends祝你生日快乐 · Blessed birthday美好的早晨 · Blessed morning
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →