In Chinese, the most common way to say “OK” is 好 (hǎo). This word literally translates to “good” and it carries a wide range of meanings. It can be used as an affirmative response, such as when agreeing with someone or expressing understanding. It can also be used as a casual greeting between friends or family members.
How to Say OK in Chinese
The character for 好 is composed of two parts: 口 (kǒu) meaning mouth and 了 (le) which represents completion. Together this symbolizes that one has spoken their mind and finished saying what they wanted to say. The phonetic pronunciation of hǎo sounds similar to the English word “how” which may have contributed to its popularity in China over other phrases like 是 (shì) meaning yes/correct or 行 (xíng) meaning ok/all right.
For more formal situations, you could use 太好了 (tài hǎole), which means something closer to “great!” The additional syllable adds emphasis on how good something is compared to just saying háo by itself. Similarly if you want express enthusiasm you could use 非常好 (fēicháng hǎo), which means very good/excellent! This phrase would typically be reserved for more important occasions where extra emphasis is needed on your approval of something said.
If you are looking for a less enthusiastic but still polite way of responding then 没问题 (méi wèntí) would do nicely. The phrase translates into no problem/no worries.
There are plenty more ways you can say OK in Chinese depending on context and situation. Some examples include 就这样吧！(jiù zhèyàng ba!) meaning let’s do that!, 知道了！(zhīdao le!) meaning got it!, or even simply 朕知道了！which uses archaic language for royal decrees and implies agreement from a position of authority.
Example Sentences using OK in Chinese
1. OK, I’ll be there soon. – 好的，我马上就到
2. Is everything OK? – 情况还好吗？
3. Are you OK with this decision? – 你对这个决定满 意吗？
4. Sure, that sounds OK to me! – 当然可以！我很满意
5. That’s a great idea, let’s do it! 这是个好主意, 我们一起做吧！
Very Good in Chinese