Meaning of 正好
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- just (in time)
- just right
- just enough
- to happen to
- to chance to
- by chance
- it just so happens that
How to use 正好
As an adjective, 正好 describes something that is just right in size, amount, or timing. As an adverb, it goes before the verb to mean something happens by chance or at a convenient moment. Example: 你来得正好，我们要吃饭了。(Nǐ lái de zhènghǎo, wǒmen yào chī fàn le.) You came at just the right time, we are about to eat.
正 (zhèng) means straight or exactly, and 好 (hǎo) means good. Something that is exactly good is just right, like a shoe that fits perfectly or a bus that arrives the moment you reach the stop.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 正好 (zhènghǎo) with 正在 (zhèngzài) because both start with 正, but 正在 marks an ongoing action while 正好 means just right or by chance. Also keep the fourth tone on 正 and do not read it as first tone zhēng.
正好 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
正 zhèng · straight · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
好 hǎo · good · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 正好.
| 最好 | zuìhǎo | best; had better ...; it would be best to ... |
| 正在 | zhèngzài | to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing |
| 好吃 | hǎochī | tasty; delicious |
| 好看 | hǎokàn | good-looking; nice-looking; (of a movie, book, TV show etc) good |
| 好听 | hǎotīng | pleasant to hear |
| 爱好 | àihào | to like; to be fond of; to take pleasure in; to be keen on; interest; hobby |
| 好玩儿 | hǎowánr | erhua variant of 好玩[hao3 wan2] |
| 好像 | hǎoxiàng | as if; to seem like |
| 真正 | zhēnzhèng | genuine; real; true; really; indeed |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing |
| 正常 | zhèngcháng | normal; regular |
| 正确 | zhèngquè | correct; sound; right; proper |
Questions about 正好
What does 正好 mean?
正好 (zhènghǎo) means "just (in time); just right" and is used as a adjective and adverb.
How do you write 正好?
正好 is made of 2 characters: 正 (5 strokes), 好 (6 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 正好 an HSK word?
Yes. 正好 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 正好 and 刚好?
They are very close and often interchangeable for just right or happen to. 刚好 (gānghǎo) can lean a little more toward barely or exactly enough, while 正好 is slightly more common in everyday speech.
Can 正好 be used alone as a reply?
Yes. If someone hands you something that fits or arrives at the right moment, you can simply say 正好 to mean perfect or just what I needed. It also works as a predicate, as in 这双鞋正好 (zhè shuāng xié zhènghǎo), these shoes fit just right.