Chinese word

和蔼

Pronunciation

Pinyinhé ǎi

Meaning

  • adjectivefriendly

Example

老师对学生很和蔼。lǎo shī duì xué shēng hěn hé ǎi

The teacher is very friendly to the students.

Illustration for 和蔼 (friendly)

More examples

邻居对我很和蔼。lín jū duì wǒ hěn hé ǎi

The neighbor is very friendly to me.

Core concept

A warm, approachable presence that makes social contact feel comfortable and reassuring.

Common phrases

  • 和蔼相待hé ǎi xiāng dài

    treat each other kindly

  • 和蔼的态度hé ǎi de tài dù

    friendly attitude

  • 和蔼地微笑hé ǎi dì wēi xiào

    smile kindly

Similar words

亲切qīn qiè: Kind and considerate in speech or actions, making others feel welcome and secure.
友善yǒu shàn: Showing friendliness, goodwill, and a readiness to work with others.
温和wēn hé: Quiet and even-tempered in character or conduct, rarely becoming angry.
和善hé shàn: Soft-hearted and gentle when treating other people.

Definition in Chinese

性格或态度温和亲切，容易使人产生亲近感和信赖感。xìng gé huò tài dù wēn hé qīn qiè róng yì shǐ rén chǎn shēng qīn jìn gǎn hé xìn lài gǎn

Word origin

和 (hé, "peaceful") supplies the sense of harmony, while 蔼 (ǎi, "gentle and approachable") adds the human warmth that gives the compound its present meaning.

Usage tips

  • 和蔼 (héǎi, "friendly") refers to an overall manner that can appear in speech, behavior, or facial expression, so it describes more than a pleasant appearance alone.

Other meanings

  • kindadjective
  • gentleadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 和蔼可亲hé ái kě qīnamiableidiom

Word lists with this word