You already know 好 (hǎo) as the adjective "good." As a resultative complement it does something learners often miss: attached to a verb, 好 says the action was completed satisfactorily and the thing is now ready — done to a good, finished, usable state. 做好 (zuò hǎo) is "get done / ready," 准备好 (zhǔnbèi hǎo) is "be ready," 写好 (xiě hǎo) is "finish writing (and it's in good shape)," 关好 (guān hǎo) is "shut properly." The word to hold onto is readiness: 好 doesn't just say you stopped, it says the result is good and set for its next use. This page draws out that nuance and, crucially, contrasts it with 完.
好 = completed to a good, ready state
Add 好 when the point is not merely that the action ended, but that it ended well — the result is now ready to be used, handed over, or relied on.
| Verb + 好 | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 做好 | zuò hǎo | get done / be ready |
| 准备好 | zhǔnbèi hǎo | be (all) ready |
| 写好 | xiě hǎo | finish writing (properly) |
| 关好 | guān hǎo | shut securely |
| 想好 | xiǎng hǎo | have thought it through / decided |
| 商量好 | shāngliang hǎo | settle by discussion / agree |
饭做好了，快来吃吧！
fàn zuò hǎo le, kuài lái chī ba
The food's ready, come and eat! (informal) — 做好 = cooked and ready to serve.
我准备好了，随时可以出发。
wǒ zhǔnbèi hǎo le, suíshí kěyǐ chūfā
I'm ready, we can leave any time. (informal) — 准备好 = fully ready.
出门前请把门窗都关好。
chū mén qián qǐng bǎ mén chuāng dōu guān hǎo
Please shut all the doors and windows properly before you leave. (neutral) — 关好 = securely shut, not just closed.
Notice how 好 leans toward a settled, agreed, decided result with mental verbs: 想好 (have made up your mind), 商量好 (have reached an agreement), 说好 (have arranged). The action produced a firm, ready outcome.
你想好了再回答，不用急。
nǐ xiǎng hǎo le zài huídá, bú yòng jí
Think it through before you answer, no rush. (neutral) — 想好 = reach a settled decision.
时间和地点我们已经商量好了。
shíjiān hé dìdiǎn wǒmen yǐjīng shāngliang hǎo le
We've already agreed on the time and place. (neutral) — 商量好 = settled by discussion.
完 vs 好: finished versus done-properly
Both 完 and 好 mark completion, but with a different flavor. 完 says you reached the end of the action; 好 says you reached a good, ready result. Often either fits, but the nuance shifts.
| Verb |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| 做 | 做完 finish doing (got through it) | 做好 done and ready to use |
| 写 | 写完 finish writing (last word down) | 写好 written and ready to hand in |
| 说 | 说完 finish speaking | 说好 agree / arrange by talking |
作业我写完了，但还没检查好。
zuòyè wǒ xiě wán le, dàn hái méi jiǎnchá hǎo
I've finished writing the homework, but I haven't checked it over properly yet. (informal) — 写完 = reached the end; 检查好 = checked to satisfaction.
Negation
Like all resultatives, 好 is negated with 没 — the ready state wasn't reached — most often in the "not yet" frame 还没…好.
报告我还没写好，明天才能交。
bàogào wǒ hái méi xiě hǎo, míngtiān cái néng jiāo
I haven't finished the report yet, I can only hand it in tomorrow. (neutral) — 还没写好, the ready state isn't reached.
别催我，我还没准备好呢。
bié cuī wǒ, wǒ hái méi zhǔnbèi hǎo ne
Stop rushing me, I'm not ready yet. (informal) — 没准备好 = not yet ready.
Common Mistakes
1. Treating 好 only as the adjective "good" and missing its resultative use. For "I'm ready," 准备 alone often isn't enough — it can just mean "prepared/did prepare." Add 好 for the ready state.
❌ 我准备了，可以走了。
Weak — 准备了 says you did some preparing, not clearly that you're READY.
✅ 我准备好了，可以走了。
wǒ zhǔnbèi hǎo le, kěyǐ zǒu le
I'm ready, we can go. (informal) — 准备好 nails the ready state.
2. Confusing 好 (ready, after the verb) with 好 (easy, before the verb). Position flips the meaning: 写好 = finish writing; 好写 = easy to write.
❌ 我好写作业了。
Incorrect — 好写 means 'easy to write'; this doesn't say you finished.
✅ 我写好作业了。
wǒ xiě hǎo zuòyè le
I've finished my homework (and it's ready). (informal) — 好 after the verb = the ready result.
3. Using 完 where 好 (ready) is idiomatic. 做完 is grammatical, but for "the food's ready" native speakers say 做好.
❌ 饭做完了，快来吃。
Sounds off — 做完 stresses the cooking is over, not that it's ready to eat.
✅ 饭做好了，快来吃。
fàn zuò hǎo le, kuài lái chī
The food's ready, come eat. (informal) — 做好 for the ready-to-serve result.
4. Negating with 不. The ready state's absence is 没, not 不.
❌ 我不准备好。
Incorrect — reads as a refusal to prepare, not 'not ready yet'.
✅ 我还没准备好。
wǒ hái méi zhǔnbèi hǎo
I'm not ready yet. (informal) — 没…好 for the unreached state.
Key Takeaways
- 好 (hǎo) as a resultative means the action was completed satisfactorily and the result is ready for use: 做好, 准备好, 写好, 关好.
- With mental verbs it means settled/agreed/decided: 想好, 商量好, 说好.
- 完 vs 好: 完 = reached the end of the action; 好 = reached a good, ready state — 做完 (finished cooking) vs 做好 (ready to eat).
- Negate with 没 (还没准备好), never 不.
- Watch the position: 写好 = finish writing; 好写 = easy to write.
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- Resultative 完: Finishing an ActionHSK 2 — 完 (wán) is the resultative that says an action reached its endpoint or a quantity was used up — 吃完 (finish eating), 做完 (finish doing), 用完 (use up); distinct from 了, negated with 没.
- Resultative Complements 结果补语HSK 2 — A resultative complement 结果补语 welds a second verb or adjective onto the main verb to name the result it achieves — 吃完 (eat up), 听懂 (understand), 看见 (see), 洗干净 (wash clean) — negated with 没, never 不.
- Complements 补语: An OverviewHSK 2 — A complement 补语 follows the verb to specify the result, direction, degree, or possibility of an action — the slot Mandarin uses where English reaches for a second verb, an adverb, or 'can/can't'.
- The Perfective 了 (le₁): Completed ActionHSK 1 — The verb-suffix 了 (le₁) sits right after the verb and marks the action as completed or realized — 我吃了饭, 买了三本书. It is completion aspect, not past tense, so it can even point to the future: 下了课就走.