不错
bú cuò
Nice · trad. 不錯
不错 (bùcuò) is a common and versatile way to say "nice" or "pretty good" in Mandarin Chinese. It's used to describe things, experiences, or situations in a positive, often understated way, implying satisfaction or approval.
When to use it
Neutral and widely applicable. It's often used casually among friends but is also perfectly fine in more formal settings when describing something positively. For a stronger "very nice," you can say 很好 (hěn hǎo). When describing a person as "nice" (kind), you might use 善良 (shànliáng) or 友好 (yǒuhǎo).
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like “boo-TSWOH.” Because 不 (bù) is followed by another falling tone (错, cuò), the tone of 不 changes from a falling tone to a rising tone, so it's actually said “bú cuò.”
Other ways to say it
- 很好hěn hǎovery good / very nice (more direct)
- 很棒hěn bànggreat / awesome (stronger positive)
- 善良shàn liángkind / nice (for a person's character)
Examples
这个地方很不错。
zhè ge dì fāng hěn bú cuò 。
This place is very nice.
你做的饭真不错！
nǐ zuò de fàn zhēn bú cuò ！
The food you made is really nice!
今天天气不错。
jīn tiān tiān qì bú cuò 。
The weather is nice today.
Pro tip: Tone change: when 不 (bù) is followed by a fourth tone, its tone changes to a second tone. So, say “bú cuò,” not “bù cuò.” Also, while it literally means “not bad,” it almost always carries a positive connotation, meaning “pretty good” or “nice.”
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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