HSK 7
幸好
xìng hǎo
Fortunately
Explanation
幸好 (xìnghǎo) is a mood adverb (an adverb expressing the attitude or nuance of a sentence), meaning 'fortunately, luckily', stating a lucky circumstance that helped avoid a bad outcome.
幸好 (xìnghǎo) + the fortunate circumstance, 不然/要不 (bùrán/yàobù, otherwise) + the bad (hypothetical) outcome. The 'otherwise' clause often has 又 (yòu) or 就 (jiù).
In both colloquial speech and writing, when expressing relief at having escaped something unpleasant; it usually stands at the head of the sentence or clause.
幸好 (xìnghǎo), 幸亏 (xìngkuī), and 好在 (hǎozài) are nearly synonymous; 幸亏 sounds slightly more formal, while the others are interchangeable.
People often forget the following hypothetical 'otherwise…' clause, leaving the idea incomplete; and do not confuse 幸好 (fortunately) with 还好 (háihǎo, 'not bad, tolerable'), which merely indicates an acceptable degree.
Examples
When he came, fortunately I was at home; otherwise he would have gotten angry again.
Luckily you reminded me, otherwise I would have forgotten.
Practice
Test your understanding with a quick quiz
Learn “幸好” effectively
The grammar point “幸好” (Fortunately) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.
You can also view the full “” lesson to understand the related grammar and vocabulary more deeply.