完 vs 好 (wán vs hǎo): completion or readiness?
完 (wán) and 好 (hǎo) are both resultative complements that indicate an action is completed. The key difference is that 完 focuses on the action being fully carried out or exhausted (e.g., finishing all the food), while 好 emphasizes that the action is completed to a satisfactory state, making the result ready for use (e.g., cooking a meal and it's ready).
完 (wán) and 好 (hǎo) are commonly used as resultative complements after verbs to indicate completion. 完 stresses that the action has been fully performed, often to the point of depletion or exhaustion (e.g., 吃完 = eat up, finish eating everything). 好 stresses that the action is completed and the result is in a proper, satisfactory, or ready state (e.g., 做好 = do something well / have it ready). Both can follow verbs like 做 (do), 吃 (eat), 写 (write), but the choice depends on whether you want to focus on the action being used up (完) or the result being satisfactory/ready (好).
When to use each
Use 完 when you want to emphasize that an action is fully carried out, often implying the object is consumed, used up, or completely processed. It is the right choice when you mean 'finish all of something' or 'use up entirely'.
完 can also imply that nothing remains of the action or object; e.g., 吃完了 means all the food is gone, not just that eating is finished.
Use 好 when you want to emphasize that an action is completed to a satisfactory or prepared state, often implying the result is ready for use or in good order. It is common for tasks that have a clear outcome or standard of readiness.
好 can also carry a connotation of 'properly done' or 'well done', not just 'finished'. For example, 做好了作业 means the homework is done and presumably correct/complete.
At a glance
| 完 | 好 | |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Action exhausted / used up | Action completed and ready / satisfactory |
| Implication for the object | Often implies the object is consumed or gone | Object is prepared or in a completed state |
| Example with 吃 | 吃完 – eat up, finish eating everything | 吃好 – eat well / be full; also 'finish eating' but with readiness nuance |
| Example with 做 | 做完 – finish doing (all parts), complete a task | 做好 – do well / have it ready (satisfactory completion) |
| Typical context | When quantity is important (finish all of it) | When quality or readiness is important (done properly) |
Examples
- 完我看完了这本书。Wǒ kàn wán le zhè běn shū.I finished reading this book (all of it).完 emphasizes that the entire book has been read.
- 好我做好了饭。Wǒ zuò hǎo le fàn.I cooked the meal (and it's ready).好 emphasizes that the meal is prepared and ready to eat.
- 完他写完了信。Tā xiě wán le xìn.He finished writing the letter (the whole letter).完 indicates the writing task is entirely complete (all content written).
- 好你准备好出发了吗？Nǐ zhǔnbèi hǎo le chūfā le ma?Are you ready to set off?好 is used with 准备 to mean 'prepared well/ready'.
- 完弟弟吃完了一碗饭。Dìdi chī wán le yī wǎn fàn.My little brother finished eating a bowl of rice (ate it all).完 stresses the rice is consumed completely.
- 好房间我收拾好了。Fángjiān wǒ shōushi hǎo le.I cleaned the room (and it's in order).好 implies the room is tidy and ready for use.
Common mistakes
- Using 完 with verbs like 准备 (prepare) – should be 准备好 (prepared well), not 准备完 (which would mean 'finish preparing' but lacks the 'ready' connotation).
- Using 好 for actions that exhaust something, e.g., saying 水喝好了 when you mean 'drank all the water'. Correct is 水喝完了 (finished drinking the water).
- Assuming 完 and 好 are interchangeable in all completion contexts – they are not; 完 focuses on depletion, 好 focuses on readiness/satisfaction.
- Using 好 when you want to emphasize that nothing is left, e.g., after eating all the dishes, say 吃完了 (ate everything), not 吃好了 (which could mean ate well/full, but not necessarily 'everything gone').
FAQ
- When do I use 完 vs 好 after a verb?
- Use 完 to emphasize that the action is fully carried out, often with a sense of using up or exhausting something (e.g., 看完 = finish watching, 吃完 = eat up). Use 好 to emphasize that the action is completed and the result is in a satisfactory or ready state (e.g., 做好 = do something properly and it's ready, 准备好 = be prepared).
- Can 完 and 好 be used interchangeably?
- Not in most cases. While both can follow the same verb (e.g., 做完 and 做好 both mean 'finish doing'), they imply different nuances. 做完 means 'finish all parts of the task', while 做好 means 'do it well/completely to a ready state'. Choose based on whether you want to stress exhaustion (完) or readiness (好).
- What does '吃好了' mean vs '吃完了'?
- '吃完了' means 'finished eating' with the focus on the food being consumed entirely (eating up). '吃好了' means 'have eaten well' or 'finished eating (and am satisfied)', often used after a meal to indicate you've eaten enough or the meal went well. For example, after a dinner party you might say ‘我吃好了’ to mean 'I'm full' or 'I've finished nicely'.
- Is it correct to say '我做好了作业'?
- Yes, '我做好了作业' means 'I've done my homework (and it's ready/done properly)'. If you only want to say you finished all of it, you could also say '我做完了作业', but that might imply just the quantity aspect. Both are correct but convey different nuances.