Read Mandarin
HSK 2 · Elementary

还可以Hái kěyǐNot Bad in Chinese

HSK 2 reading practice · 76 words · ~1 min
周末zhōumò朋友péngyoukàn一个yí gexīn电影diànyǐng
On the weekend, my friend and I go watch a new movie.
电影diànyǐngkànwán以后yǐhòu朋友péngyouwèn电影diànyǐng怎么样zěnmeyàng
After the movie finishes, my friend asks me: "How was the movie?"
shuō还可以hái kěyǐ一般yìbān
I say: "Not bad, average."
朋友péngyoushuō觉得juéde还行hái xíng可是kěshì有点儿yǒudiǎnrcháng
My friend says: "I think it's not bad too, but it's a little long."
我们wǒmencóng电影院diànyǐngyuàn出来chūlái一起yìqǐ前面qiánmiànde饭馆fànguǎn吃饭chīfàn
We come out of the cinema and go together to the restaurant up ahead to eat.
服务员fúwùyuánwèncài怎么样zěnmeyàng我们wǒmen一起yìqǐshuō还可以hái kěyǐ
The waiter asks: "How's the food?" We both say together: "Not bad!"
🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

还可以hái kěyǐnot bad; OK
还行hái xíngpretty good; not bad
一般yìbānso-so; average
电影院diànyǐngyuàncinema
chánglong
càidish; food

Grammar note 语法点

还可以(not bad; OK)

还可以 gives a neutral answer to 怎么样 — not great, not bad, right in the middle.

还可以,一般。— Not bad, average.
还行(pretty good — spoken version of 还可以)

还行 is the casual, spoken way to say something is not bad, often followed by a small complaint with 可是.

我也觉得还行,可是有点儿长。— I think it's not bad too, but it's a little long.
A + 怎么样?(asking for an opinion)

怎么样 placed after a topic asks what someone thinks of it.

电影怎么样?— How was the movie?

Check yourself 小测验

1. What does 还可以 mean here?
2. What one complaint does the friend have about the movie?
3. Where do the two friends go after the movie?
Fei — Mandarin teacher
After this reading

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.

Book a trial lesson →

More HSK 2 reading practice

All HSK 2 readings →