合适
Traditional: 合適
hé shì HSK 4

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

这件衣服很合适。
Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn héshì.
This piece of clothing is very suitable.
现在时间不合适。
Xiànzài shíjiān bù héshì.
The time now is not suitable.
他找到了合适的工作。
Tā zhǎodào le héshì de gōngzuò.
He found a suitable job.
这件衣服很合适。
Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn héshì.
This clothing is very suitable.
时间合适吗?
Shíjiān héshì ma?
Is the time suitable?

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 合适 as combining 合 (hé, meaning 'to combine' or 'to join') and 适 (shì, meaning 'to fit' or 'comfortable')—together, they create the idea of 'joined fittingly,' helping remember it as something that fits together appropriately.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, as well as in spoken and written Chinese. It is commonly applied in everyday situations like clothing choices, timing, decisions, or arrangements to evaluate if something matches expectations or needs.

📖 Grammar Points

合适 is typically used as a predicate adjective after adverbs like 很, 不, or 非常 (e.g., 这个时间很合适). It can also modify nouns directly with 的 (e.g., 合适的工作). In negative forms, it often appears as 不合适 to indicate something is unsuitable.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, using 合适 reflects a consideration for harmony and propriety, as appropriateness is valued in social and professional settings. It may subtly convey respect for norms, such as in dress codes or gift-giving, where being 'suitable' avoids offense.

🔄 Similar Words

合适 is similar to 适合 (shìhé), which also means 'to suit' or 'to fit,' but 合适 is primarily an adjective (e.g., 这个很合适), while 适合 is often a verb (e.g., 这个适合你). 适当 (shìdàng) means 'appropriate' but can imply a more formal or measured degree of suitability, often in abstract contexts.

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