HSK 4

(没)有什么(好)X的

( méi ) yǒu shén me ( hǎo ) X de

The structure (没)有什么(好)X的

Explanation

The structure (没)有什么(好)X 的 ((méi)yǒu shénme (hǎo) X de) is used to emphasize that there is NO reason to do X or to feel the emotion X.

Structure

没有什么好 (méiyǒu shénme hǎo) + X + 的 (de), where X is usually a verb of emotion/action (害怕 hàipà to fear, 激动 jīdòng to be excited, 难过 nánguò to be sad). The rhetorical question form 有什么好 + X + 的 ("what's there worth X-ing") also carries a similar negative meaning.

When to use

when advising or reassuring someone that a matter is not worth worrying, fearing, being sad about, being excited about... The character 好 (hǎo) here does NOT mean "good", but means "worth, needing to".

Distinguish

没有什么好X的 is an affirmatively negative statement ("there's nothing worth X-ing"), while 有什么好X的 is a rhetorical question (a question used to affirm the opposite), but both convey the idea "not worth X-ing".

Note

the character 的 (de) at the end is mandatory and cannot be dropped.

Common mistakes

Vietnamese learners often translate 好 as "good" and thus misunderstand the whole sentence; remember 好 here = "worth". They also often forget the 的 at the end of the sentence.

Examples

这才刚刚开始,没有什么好激动的。
zhècáigānggāngkāishǐméiyǒushénmehǎodòngde

This has only just begun; there's nothing to get excited about.

你还是别担心了,有什么好害怕的。
háishìbiédānxīnleyǒushénmehǎohàide

You'd better stop worrying — what's there to be afraid of?

有什么好难过的,这是我们早就想到的结果。
yǒushénmehǎonánguòdezhèshìmenzǎojiùxiǎngdàodejiéguǒ

What's there to be sad about? This is the outcome we anticipated long ago.

Practice

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Learn “(没)有什么(好)X的” effectively

The grammar point “(没)有什么(好)X的” (The structure (没)有什么(好)X的) is one of the key structures at HSK 4. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.

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