Difference between revisions of "Expressing good luck with "haihao""

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
幸亏 (xìngkuī), 幸好 (xìnghǎo), and 还好 (háihǎo) mean "fortunately" or "luckily." They can be used to express that something has happened by chance, and has thereby enabled you to avoid some difficulty or bad luck. It is often followed with [[不然]] (which precedes the bad thing that ''could have'' happened).
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还好 (háihǎo) can mean "fortunately" or "luckily." Another good translation would be "it's a good thing that...." It is often followed with [[不然]], which precedes the bad thing that ''could have'' happened if not for the stroke of luck.
  
== Expressing Luck with 幸亏 and 幸好 ==
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== Structure ==
 
 
It's as simple is adding 幸亏 or 幸好 before the thing that makes you feel lucky.
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
 
 
The pattern is:
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
幸亏 / 幸好 + [Lucky Incident]
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
And if you want to add in 不然 for an "otherwise... (this really bad thing would have happened)" explanation, use this structure:
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
幸亏 / 幸好 + [Lucky Incident], 不然 ……
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
*<em>幸亏</em> 我们 打 车 来 的 ,<strong>不然</strong> 就 迟到 了 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Xìngkuī</em> wǒmen dǎchē lái de, <strong>bùrán</strong> jiù chídào le.</span><span class="trans">Luckily, we came by taxi, otherwise we could have been late.</span>
 
*<em>幸好</em> 我 妈 没 看到 ,<strong>不然</strong> 她 肯定 要 生气 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Xìnghǎo</em> wǒ mā méi kàndào, <strong>bùrán</strong> tā kěndìng yào shēngqì.</span><span class="trans">It's a good thing that my mother didn't see it, otherwise she would definitely be mad.</span>
 
*<em>幸亏</em> 有 你 在 ,<strong>不然</strong> 我 不 知道 怎么办 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Xìngkuī</em> nǐ zài, <strong>bùrán</strong> wǒ bù zhīdào zěnme bàn.</span><span class="trans">Fortunately you're here, otherwise I don't know what to do.</span>
 
*<em>幸好</em> 他们 都 走 了 ,<strong>不然</strong> 我 要 疯 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Xìnghǎo</em> tāmen dōu zǒu le, <strong>bùrán</strong>  wǒ yào fēng le.</span><span class="trans">Luckily, they all left, otherwise I could be driven crazy.</span>
 
*<em>幸好</em> 今天 带 伞 了 ,<strong>不然</strong> 要 淋湿 了 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Xìnghǎo</em> jīntiān dài sǎn le,<strong>bùrán</strong> yào línshī le.</span><span class="trans">It's a good thing I brought the umbrella. Otherwise, I would have gotten soaked.</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
== Expressing Luck with 还好 ==
 
 
 
“还好” can also mean “fortunately,” but is more colloquial than 幸好 or 幸亏. And if you want to add in 不然 for an "otherwise... (this really bad thing would have happened)" explanation, use this structure:
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
+
还好 + [Lucky Incident] ,不然 + [Bad Outcome]
还好 + [Lucky Incident], 不然……
 
 
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
=== Examples ===
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== Examples ==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*<em>还好</em> 我 没 听 他 的 话,<strong>不然</strong> 就 输 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Hái hǎo</em> wǒ méi tīng tā de huà,<strong>bùrán</strong> jiù shū le.</span><span class="trans">It's a good thing I didn't listen to him, otherwise I would have lost the game.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 我们 打车 来 的 ,<strong>不然</strong> 就 迟到 了 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háihǎo</em> wǒmen dǎchē lái de, <strong>bùrán</strong> jiù chídào le.</span><span class="trans">Luckily, we came by taxi. Otherwise we would have been late.</span>
*<em>还好</em> 我 保存 了,<strong>不然</strong> 文件 都 丢 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Hái hǎo</em> wǒ bǎocún le, <strong>bùrán</strong> wénjiàn dōu diū le.</span><span class="trans">Luckily I saved it, otherwise I would have lost all of the documents.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 我 妈 没 看到 ,<strong>不然</strong> 她 肯定 要 生气 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háihǎo</em> wǒ mā méi kàndào, <strong>bùrán</strong> tā kěndìng yào shēngqì.</span><span class="trans">It's a good thing that my mother didn't see it. Otherwise she would definitely be mad.</span>
*<em>还好</em> 我 买 得 少,<strong>不然</strong> 都 浪费 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Hái hǎo</em> mǎi de shǎo, <strong>bùrán</strong> dōu làngfèi le.</span><span class="trans">Luckily I didn't buy a lot, otherwise the food would be all wasted.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 有 你 在 ,<strong>不然</strong> 我 真 不 知道 怎么 办 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háihǎo</em> yǒu nǐ zài, <strong>bùrán</strong> wǒ zhēn bù zhīdào zěnme bàn.</span><span class="trans">Fortunately you're here. Otherwise I really wouldn't have known what to do.</span>
*<em>还好</em> 老板 不 知道,<strong>不然</strong> 你 肯定 被 炒 鱿鱼。<span class="pinyin"><em>Hái hǎo</em> lǎobǎn bù zhīdào, <strong>bùrán</strong> nǐ kěndìng bèi chǎo yóuyú.</span><span class="trans">Luckily the boss doesn't know about it, otherwise you will definitely get fired.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 带 伞 了 ,<strong>不然</strong> 肯定 淋湿 了 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háihǎo</em> dài sǎn le, <strong>bùrán</strong> kěndìng línshī le.</span><span class="trans">It's a good thing I brought the umbrella. Otherwise, I would have definitely gotten soaked.</span>
*<em>还好</em> 你 提醒 我,<strong>不然</strong> 我 肯定 忘 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Hái hǎo</em> nǐ tíxǐng wǒ, <strong>bùrán</strong> wǒ kěndìng wàng le.</span><span class="trans">Luckily, you reminded me, otherwise I would have definitely forgotten.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 我们 买 了 很多 ,<strong>不然</strong> 肯定 不够 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Háihǎo</em> wǒmen mǎi le hěn duō, <strong>bùrán</strong> kěndìng bù gòu.</span><span class="trans">Luckily, we bought a lot. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been enough.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 我 没 听 他 的 话,<strong>不然</strong> 就 输 了 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Hái hǎo</em> wǒ méi tīng tā de huà, <strong>bùrán</strong> jiù shū le.</span><span class="trans">It's a good thing I didn't listen to him. Otherwise, I would have lost.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 我 保存 了,<strong>不然</strong> 文件 都 丢 了 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háihǎo</em> wǒ bǎocún le, <strong>bùrán</strong> wénjiàn dōu diū le.</span><span class="trans">Luckily, I saved it. Otherwise, I would have lost all of the documents.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 我 没 点 那么 多 菜 ,<strong>不然</strong> 都 浪费 了 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háihǎo</em> wǒ méi diǎn nàme duō cài, <strong>bùrán</strong> dōu làngfèi le.</span><span class="trans">It's a good thing I didn't order that much food. Otherwise, it would have all been wasted.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 老板 不 知道 ,<strong>不然</strong> 你 肯定 被 炒 鱿鱼 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háihǎo</em> lǎobǎn bù zhīdào, <strong>bùrán</strong> nǐ kěndìng bèi chǎo yóuyú.</span><span class="trans">Luckily, the boss doesn't know about it. Otherwise, you would definitely get fired.</span>
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*<em>还好</em> 你 提醒 我 了 ,<strong>不然</strong> 我 肯定 忘 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háihǎo</em> nǐ tíxǐng wǒ le, <strong>bùrán</strong> wǒ kěndìng wàng le.</span><span class="trans">It's a good thing you reminded me. Otherwise, I would have definitely forgotten.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
==See also==
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== See also ==
  
* [["Thanks to" somebody with "duokui"]]
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* [[Expressing "thanks to" with "duokui"]]
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* [[Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"]]
  
 
== Sources and further  reading ==
 
== Sources and further  reading ==
  
 
=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
 
=== Dictionaries ===
 
* [[现代汉语词典(第5版)]] (pp. 1527) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/dp/B001B1RZCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693609&sr=8-1 →buy]
 
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|幸亏|B1|幸亏 / 幸好 / 还好 + Accidental Reasons|<em>幸亏</em> 我们 走 得 早。|grammar point|ASGOB1BF}}
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{{HSK|HSK0}}
{{Rel char|幸好}}
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{{Basic Grammar|还好|B1|还好 + Lucky Incident ,不然 + Bad Outcome|<em>还好</em> 有 你 在 ,<strong>不然</strong> 我 真 不 知道 怎么办 。|grammar point|ASGOB1BF}}
 
{{Rel char|还好}}
 
{{Rel char|还好}}
 
{{Rel char|不然}}
 
{{Rel char|不然}}
{{Rel char|还}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "thanks to" with "duokui"}}  
{{Rel char|多亏}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"}}     
{{Similar|"Thanks to" somebody with "duokui"}}     
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{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
{{POS|Adverbs}}
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{{Subprop|Complex Sentence Patterns}}
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{{Translation|luckily}}
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{{Translation|thanks to}}

Latest revision as of 08:49, 24 April 2019

Chinese-grammar-wiki-buran.jpg

还好 (háihǎo) can mean "fortunately" or "luckily." Another good translation would be "it's a good thing that...." It is often followed with 不然, which precedes the bad thing that could have happened if not for the stroke of luck.

Structure

还好 + [Lucky Incident] ,不然 + [Bad Outcome]

Examples

  • 还好 我们 打车 来 的 ,不然 就 迟到 了 。Háihǎo wǒmen dǎchē lái de, bùrán jiù chídào le.Luckily, we came by taxi. Otherwise we would have been late.
  • 还好 我 妈 没 看到 ,不然 她 肯定 要 生气 。Háihǎo wǒ mā méi kàndào, bùrán tā kěndìng yào shēngqì.It's a good thing that my mother didn't see it. Otherwise she would definitely be mad.
  • 还好 有 你 在 ,不然 我 真 不 知道 怎么 办 。Háihǎo yǒu nǐ zài, bùrán wǒ zhēn bù zhīdào zěnme bàn.Fortunately you're here. Otherwise I really wouldn't have known what to do.
  • 还好 带 伞 了 ,不然 肯定 淋湿 了 。Háihǎo dài sǎn le, bùrán kěndìng línshī le.It's a good thing I brought the umbrella. Otherwise, I would have definitely gotten soaked.
  • 还好 我们 买 了 很多 ,不然 肯定 不够 。 Háihǎo wǒmen mǎi le hěn duō, bùrán kěndìng bù gòu.Luckily, we bought a lot. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been enough.
  • 还好 我 没 听 他 的 话,不然 就 输 了 。Hái hǎo wǒ méi tīng tā de huà, bùrán jiù shū le.It's a good thing I didn't listen to him. Otherwise, I would have lost.
  • 还好 我 保存 了,不然 文件 都 丢 了 。Háihǎo wǒ bǎocún le, bùrán wénjiàn dōu diū le.Luckily, I saved it. Otherwise, I would have lost all of the documents.
  • 还好 我 没 点 那么 多 菜 ,不然 都 浪费 了 。Háihǎo wǒ méi diǎn nàme duō cài, bùrán dōu làngfèi le.It's a good thing I didn't order that much food. Otherwise, it would have all been wasted.
  • 还好 老板 不 知道 ,不然 你 肯定 被 炒 鱿鱼 。Háihǎo lǎobǎn bù zhīdào, bùrán nǐ kěndìng bèi chǎo yóuyú.Luckily, the boss doesn't know about it. Otherwise, you would definitely get fired.
  • 还好 你 提醒 我 了 ,不然 我 肯定 忘 了。Háihǎo nǐ tíxǐng wǒ le, bùrán wǒ kěndìng wàng le.It's a good thing you reminded me. Otherwise, I would have definitely forgotten.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books