How to use 不知道…好
Subject + 不知道 + Embedded Question + (才 +) 好
不知道…好 expresses uncertainty about which action would be appropriate or best in a situation. It is especially useful when the speaker faces a practical choice, feels awkward, or cannot decide how to respond. The material after 不知道 normally contains a question word naming the unresolved choice, such as what to say, whom to approach, or how to proceed.
好 evaluates the suitability of the possible action, rather than simply describing someone’s technical skill. 才 can appear before 好 to emphasize finding a satisfactory course. Keep the embedded question in ordinary Chinese word order. The construction can express genuine indecision even when the speaker knows several possible actions and is capable of performing them.
Examples with pinyin and English
我真的不知道怎么办才好。
I really don't know what to do about this.
我们都不知道说什么好。
None of us knew what to say.
这件事我不知道跟谁说好。
I'm not sure who to talk to about this matter.
老板不知道怪谁好。
The boss wasn't sure who to blame.
What to remember
- Include the unresolved choice in the verb phrase.
- Final 好 concerns suitability, not just skill.
- 才 can emphasize the search for a good option.
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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.
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