好歹

hǎo dǎi

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Noun Uncommon

Save to list

A add to a list Esc back to results

Definitions

1. good and bad
2. most unfortunate occurrence
3. in any case
4. whatever

Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Get Yearly · $49.99 / year

Sign up with Google

Did Google show an error? Sorry about that. Use your email below instead.

Continue with Email

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Lifetime for $119.99 Try a practice session

Word relationships

Related words

2 items

• 生死 shēng sǐ 生死 shēng sǐ life or death used in fixed expressions about life-and-death matters, similar structure to 好歹: life or death
• 长短 cháng duǎn 长短 cháng duǎn length parallel construction with opposite adjectives, often used in similar contexts: length

Synonyms

2 items

• 无论如何 wú lùn rú hé 无论如何 wú lùn rú hé whatever the case in the sense of 'in any case': whatever the case
• 总算 zǒng suàn 总算 zǒng suàn at long last when 好歹 means 'at least' or 'finally': at long last

Usage notes

Common mistakes

When meaning 'in any case', 好歹 often implies a reluctant or desperate acceptance, unlike neutral 无论如何.

Formality

In the sense of 'good and bad', 好歹 is mostly used in spoken or colloquial contexts, e.g., 不知好歹.

Example Sentences

1 shown

他 好歹 是个老师，应该懂得这个道理。

He is a teacher after all, so he should understand this principle.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 好歹

• 不问好歹 不问好歹 bù wèn hǎo dǎi: no matter what may happen (idiom)
• 不知好歹 不知好歹 bù zhī hǎo dǎi: unable to differentiate good from bad (idiom)
• 不识好歹 不识好歹 bù shí hǎo dǎi: unable to tell good from bad (idiom)

Child Words of 好歹

• 好 好 hǎo: good
• 好 好 hào: to be fond of; to have a tendency to; to be prone to
• 歹 歹 dǎi: bad