HSK 4 · Function Words

正好 zhènghǎo “just (in time)” in Chinese

Same in Traditional

What 正好 means

  1. just (in time)
  2. just right
  3. just enough
  4. to happen to
  5. to chance to
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • by chance

How to say 正好

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale正zhèng4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale好hǎo3rd tone, dipping

正好 in a sentence

  1. 现在正好，不重也不轻。

    Xiànzài zhènghǎo, bú zhòng yě bù qīng.

    It’s just right now: not too heavy and not too light.

    Sentence #420228 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 电话来的时候我正好在外面。

    Diànhuà lái de shíhou wǒ zhènghǎo zài wàimiàn.

    I happened to be out when the call came.

    Sentence #3081254 from Tatoeba

  3. 我们正好赶上最后一趟火车。

    Wǒmen zhènghǎo gǎnshàng zuìhòu yí tàng huǒchē.

    We just caught the last train.

    Sentence #2357622 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 正好 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 正 (zhèng) with each of its parts in a different colour
正zhèngstraight
  • 一one · yī
  • 止stop · zhǐ

Memory aidPicture a foot 止 heading straight for a line 一: straight, correct.

The character 好 (hǎo) with each of its parts in a different colour
好hǎogood
  • 女woman · nǚ
  • 子child · zǐ

Memory aidA woman 女 with her child 子: something good.

How to write 正好

正 5 strokes · 好 6 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

正好 (zhènghǎo) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 正好 (zhènghǎo). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 正好

Words with 正

正在zhèngzài · in the process of正常zhèngcháng · regular正确zhèngquè · correct正式zhèngshì · formal真正zhēnzhèng · genuine正zhèng · just (in the middle of doing something)改正gǎizhèng · to correct反正fǎnzhèng · anyway正月zhēngyuè · first month of the lunar year更正gēngzhèng · to correct

Words with 好

好hǎo · good你好nǐ hǎo · hello好看hǎokàn · good-looking好听hǎotīng · pleasant to hear好玩儿hǎowánr · amusing好吃hǎochī · delicious不好意思bùhǎoyìsi · to feel embarrassed爱好àihào · hobby好多hǎoduō · a lot of好久hǎojiǔ · a long time

More words: Particles & Connectors

与yǔ · and原来yuánlái · original咱们zánmen · we真正zhēnzhèng · genuine之zhī · of (formal equivalent of 的)值得zhíde · to be worth只要zhǐyào · if only至少zhìshǎo · at least

FAQs

正好 (zhènghǎo) means “just (in time)” or “just right”. It is an HSK 4 word.
Say it zhènghǎo: zhèng with a 4th tone, then hǎo with a 3rd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 正好 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type zhenghao with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 正好 from the suggestions. Typing zhenghao into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
正好 is an HSK 4 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.