讨好 tǎohǎo to get the desired outcome
to get the desired outcome; to win favor by fawning on somebody; to curry favor with; a fruitful outcome to reward one's labor
How to remember 讨好: 讨 ask for + 好 good = to get the desired outcome.
Characters
How it is used
- To curry favor / try to please by fawning - 讨好上司 (tǎohǎo shàngsi) suck up to the boss.
- Also in 吃力不讨好 (chīlì bù tǎohǎo), 'hard work with no thanks/reward' - a very common phrase.
- Usually negative (obsequious flattery); the '得到好结果' sense survives mainly in that idiom.
Example sentences
- 他竭尽全力地讨好他老婆。 Tā jiéjìnquánlì de tǎohǎo tā lǎopó.He bent over backward to please his wife.