NetChai Chinese
好的
hǎo de
Ok

好的 (hǎo de) is a very common and versatile way to say "ok" in Mandarin Chinese. It's used to agree, confirm, acknowledge, or indicate understanding. It can mean "okay," "alright," "good," or "yes."

When to use it

Neutral and polite. For a more formal "can" or "may," use 可以 (kěyǐ). For "no problem," use 没问题 (méi wèntí). Among friends, you might hear 行 (xíng) or just a simple 嗯 (èn) for "mm-hmm / okay."

How to pronounce it

Sounds like "HOW-duh." The "hao" is a third tone, and the "de" is usually a light, neutral tone.

Other ways to say it

  • 可以kě yǐokay / can (permission/possibility)
  • 没问题méi wèn tíno problem / okay
  • 行xíngokay / alright (casual)

Examples

好的，请稍等。
hǎo de ， qǐng shāo děng 。
Okay, please wait a moment.
你明天能来吗？好的。
nǐ míng tiān néng lái ma ？ hǎo de 。
Can you come tomorrow? Okay.
好的，我知道了。
hǎo de ， wǒ zhī dào le 。
Okay, I got it.
Pro tip: The character 的 (de) in 好的 is almost always pronounced with a neutral tone, making it sound softer and less emphasized than a full fourth tone.

Related phrases

是 · Yes不是 · No我明白了 · I understand
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