How to use 好
Enabling action，(subject +) 好 + intended action
好 can introduce the purpose served by an earlier action. The first clause describes preparation or a helpful arrangement, and the following clause explains what this enables. English often uses so that or in order to. The purpose may concern the same person performing both actions or another person who benefits from the arrangement.
Place 好 before the intended action, adding a subject if the person changes. 好让 is useful when the purpose involves allowing someone else to act. This linking use differs from adjective 好 and from compounds that describe something as easy or pleasant to do. Check that the first action provides a practical condition for the stated purpose.
Examples with pinyin and English
她睡前常常喝牛奶， 好入睡。
She often drinks milk before bedtime to help her fall asleep.
老师，请说慢点儿，我们好做笔记。
Teacher, you need to speak a little slower so that we can take notes.
请把车停到里面， 好让别人走路。
Please park the car inside so that other people can walk here.
他学习非常努力， 好考个好大学。
He is studying very hard so that he can get into a good university.
What to remember
- Use the first clause for the enabling action.
- Put 好 before the purpose predicate.
- Use 好让 when the arrangement allows someone else to act.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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