What Does 行 (xíng) Mean in Chinese?
Enhanced context lessonCommon
Okay / All right / It works
Quick answer: What does 行 mean?
行 — In conversation, 行 often accepts a suggestion or says that a plan is workable. It can also say someone is capable.
✓Okay, let’s do that.
✓That works.
✓Capable / able to do it.
What Chinese people actually mean
This page covers 行 read xíng. In words about rows or occupations, 行 can be read háng. A short 行 can sound warm or merely matter-of-fact depending on delivery.
Literal meaning
In this reading xíng, it means works or is acceptable.
When not to use it
Do not read a short agreement 行 as háng; that reading belongs to other words.
Common mistakes
- It often accepts a proposed plan or request.
Compare & practice
Compare 行 / 可以 / 行吧 / 都行 / 还行 in everyday situations.
See the differences & try 5 questions →Chinese characters
Open each character to see its own meanings and vocabulary links.
Real conversations
1 · Accepting a plan
A: 明天早上见，可以吗？
míngtiān zǎoshang jiàn, kěyǐ ma?
A: Can we meet tomorrow morning?
B: 行，就这么定。
xíng, jiù zhème dìng.
B: Sure, let’s settle on that.
2 · Saying a plan works
A: 这个时间行吗？
zhège shíjiān xíng ma?
A: Does this time work?
B: 行，我那时候有空。
xíng, wǒ nà shíhou yǒu kòng.
B: Yes, I’m free then.
How to pronounce 行
行
Tap to hear Mandarin.
When to use it
✓行 read xíng is a concise spoken agreement or a statement that something works. 行吗 asks whether a proposal is acceptable.
✓After agreeing, confirm the detail: 行，十点见 (xíng, shí diǎn jiàn), “Sure, see you at ten.” This reduces ambiguity about the plan.
✓When someone replies 行 to your suggestion, you can continue with practical arrangements. It does not by itself judge how good a completed event was.
✓可以 overlaps with 行 for accepting plans and can also grant permission. Do not assume only one of them is correct in every conversation.
✓The reading háng has different meanings, including a line of business or a row. This conversational use is xíng.
Sources and editorial note
Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.Context lesson: Original Chinese Meaning context lesson; examples written for this site.