English–Chinese

“happen to” in Chinese

Chinese

Also恰巧 (qià qiǎo) · 碰巧 (pèng qiǎo)

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhèng hǎo

Example

我正好有空，可以帮你。wǒ zhèng hǎo yǒu kòng ké yǐ bāng nǐ

I happen to be free, so I can help you.

Illustration for 正好 (happen to)

How to say “happen to” in Chinese

“Happen to” in Chinese is 正好 (zhèng hǎo).

A situation or action fits the moment or conditions exactly.

Full entry for 正好: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 正好

你来得正好，我们可以出发了。nǐ lái de zhèng hǎo wǒ men ké yǐ chū fā le

You came at just the right time, so we can leave.

Tips for using 正好

  • In English, happen to often suggests chance, while this Chinese adverb can also show that timing fits a need, so its meaning is not always accidental.

Other Chinese words for “happen to”

2

恰巧

qià qiǎo

adverbhappen to

我恰巧遇见了他。wǒ qià qiǎo yù jiàn le tā

I happened to meet him.

3

碰巧

pèng qiǎo

adverbhappen to

我碰巧遇见了他。wǒ pèng qiǎo yù jiàn le tā

I happened to meet him.

“happen to” in other languages