suitable; appropriate; fitting
HSK level
合适 is written with 15 strokes (合: 6, 适: 9). The animation replays automatically.
合适 (héshì) is an adjective meaning 'suitable,' 'appropriate,' or 'fitting' — describing when something is a good match for a purpose, person, or situation.
Use it for clothes that fit well, a job that suits someone, a price that feels right, or timing that works. Unlike the English 'suitable,' which can sound formal, 合适 is a warm, everyday word Chinese speakers use constantly.
A key difference: 合适 is relational — it almost always implies a fit between two things ('这件衣服很合适' = the clothes suit you), so a bare '合适' usually invites the question 'suitable for what?' It is a stative adjective, so it takes 很 in affirmative statements (很合适) and does not take 了 the way action verbs do.
Note: Everyday word usable in any register. It describes the relationship of fit between two things, so it usually needs a context — 'suitable for what.'
Character by character
Memory hook: Two characters that both mean 'fit' — doubly fitting, hence 'suitable.'
这件衣服你穿很合适。
Zhè jiàn yīfu nǐ chuān hěn héshì.
This piece of clothing suits you well.
spoken
现在打电话不太合适。
Xiànzài dǎ diànhuà bù tài héshì.
Now isn't quite the right time to call.
spoken
我们需要找一个合适的地方开会。
Wǒmen xūyào zhǎo yí ge héshì de dìfang kāihuì.
We need to find a suitable place to meet.
neutral
这个价格我觉得很合适。
Zhège jiàgé wǒ juéde hěn héshì.
I think this price is just right.
spoken
适合 is a verb ('to suit'): 这个工作适合你 = this job suits you. 合适 is an adjective ('is suitable'): 这个工作很合适. Same idea, different grammar — 适合 takes an object, 合适 describes a state.
恰当 ('apt, proper') is more formal and used for words, methods, or handling of a situation. 合适 is broader and more colloquial, common for clothes, timing, and everyday choices.
Same characters reversed, and the meaning is close, but 适合 is a verb taking an object while 合适 is a describing adjective. Say '这双鞋适合我' or '这双鞋很合适' — never '这双鞋合适我.'
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