How to use 正好
Subj. + 正好 + Verb Phrase
正好 can show that circumstances happen to align with another need, event, or expectation. Before a verb phrase, it often presents an action or situation as occurring at a convenient or relevant moment. The coincidence may be useful, surprising, or simply noticeable in the conversation; it is not necessarily positive in every setting.
The word can also stand as a description meaning that an amount, size, temperature, or timing is just right. In that use it evaluates suitability rather than merely stating that an event happened. These meanings share the idea of a close match. Check whether the sentence pairs two circumstances or directly judges a degree, because that distinction guides both placement and interpretation.
Examples with pinyin and English
我正好要出去，垃圾我来扔吧。
I'm just about to leave. I'll take out the trash.
你来了！我正好要找你。
You are here! I was just looking for you.
他正好问了我想问的问题。
He happened to ask the question that I wanted to ask.
我正好也在这里实习。
I happen to be interning here too.
What to remember
- Use it before coincidentally matching events.
- It can also predicate “just right.”
- Identify the relevant expectation or requirement.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.