好歹

hǎo dǎi

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Noun Uncommon

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Definitions

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

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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