Chinese word

好在

Pronunciation

Pinyinhǎo zài

Meaning

  • adverbfortunately

Example

好在你来了。hǎo zài nǐ lái le

Fortunately, you came.

Illustration for 好在 (fortunately)

More examples

好在我们带了雨伞。hǎo zài wǒ men dài le yú sǎn

Fortunately, we brought umbrellas.

Core concept

A helpful fact appears at the right moment and keeps a bad outcome from happening or becoming worse.

Common phrases

  • 好在还有时间hǎo zài hái yǒu shí jiān

    fortunately there is still time

  • 好在没迟到hǎo zài méi chí dào

    fortunately we were not late

  • 好在有人帮忙hǎo zài yǒu rén bāng máng

    fortunately someone helped

Similar words

幸亏xìng kuī: A dangerous situation is avoided just in time, bringing relief.
多亏duō kuī: A helpful person, thing, or condition prevents a bad outcome.
幸好xìng hǎo: By good luck, an expected problem does not happen.
还好hái hǎo: The result is not as bad as expected, so there is relief.

Definition in Chinese

用来表示因为存在某个有利条件或巧合，避免或缓解了原本可能发生的不良后果，语气多带宽慰或感叹，常见于口语。yòng lái biǎo shì yīn wèi cún zài mǒu gè yǒu lì tiáo jiàn huò qiǎo hé bì miǎn huò huán jiě le yuán běn kě néng fā shēng de bù liáng hòu guǒ yǔ qì duō dài kuān wèi huò gǎn tàn cháng jiàn yú kóu yǔ

Word origin

好在 (hǎozài, "fortunately") combines 好 (hǎo, "good") with 在 (zài, "be present"), framing a helpful fact as the good thing that is there and yielding its conversational adverbial sense.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, 好在 (hǎozài, "fortunately") commonly comes before the concrete circumstance that prevented trouble, linking relief directly to its cause.

Opposites

  • 可惜kě xīunfortunatelyadverb
  • 不巧bù qiǎounfortunatelyadverb

Word lists with this word