好好先生
好好先生 (hǎo hǎo xiān sheng) literally means “good good mister” and expresses “person who agrees with everyone to avoid conflict”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: hao hao xian sheng, hao hao xian sheng,好好先生 meaning, 好好先生 in english
Person who agrees with everyone to avoid conflict
Pronunciation: hǎo hǎo xiān sheng Literal meaning: Good good mister
Origin & Usage
Qing Dynasty political commentators first used this phrase to criticize excessively agreeable (好好) officials (先生) who prioritized harmony over necessary confrontation. The doubled character '好' (good) carried an ironic edge, suggesting performance rather than genuine virtue. Modern usage describes those who avoid all conflict through universal agreeability, even when principled disagreement would better serve the common good.
Examples
English: "The manager avoided necessary criticism and never challenged poor performance"
Chinese: 这位经理避免必要的批评，从不挑战糟糕的表现
Related Chinese Idioms
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一模一样
yī mú yī yàng
Exactly identical
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以心换心
yǐ xīn huàn xīn
Treat others as yourself
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海纳百川
hǎi nà bǎi chuān
Accept all with open mind
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以和为贵
yǐ hé wéi guì
Value harmony above all
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同舟共济
tóng zhōu gòng jì
Face challenges together
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风雨同舟
fēng yǔ tóng zhōu
Share hardships together
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春风化雨
chūn fēng huà yǔ
Gentle, nurturing influence
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 好好先生 mean in English?
好好先生 (hǎo hǎo xiān sheng) literally translates to “Good good mister” and is used to express “Person who agrees with everyone to avoid conflict”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 好好先生 used?
Situation: The manager avoided necessary criticism and never challenged poor performance
What is the pinyin for 好好先生?
The pinyin pronunciation for 好好先生 is “hǎo hǎo xiān sheng”.