好（不）容易 + 才 (with great difficulty)

Chinese Grammar Advanced Chinese ★★★ 3/5 neutral hǎo (bù) róngyì
Pinyin hǎo (bù) róngyì
Formation Subj. + 好（不）容易 + 才 + Verb / Result
Hanzi breakdown 容 = 宀 (roof) + 谷 (valley), meaning to contain; 易 = 日 (sun) + 勿 (not), originally meaning easy

Meaning

Expresses that something was accomplished only after great effort or difficulty. Despite appearing to have opposite meanings, both 好容易 and 好不容易 convey the same idea — 'with great difficulty' or 'it wasn't easy.' The result clause typically uses 才 to emphasize the hard-won outcome.

This is one of Chinese's well-known examples of two opposite-looking expressions meaning the same thing. Both 好容易 and 好不容易 mean 'with great difficulty' or 'it was so hard to finally...' The 好 here functions as an intensifier rather than meaning 'good,' and the overall expression is idiomatic. The pattern often pairs with 才 in the result clause to emphasize that the outcome was hard-won. It frequently carries an emotional undertone of relief, frustration, or pride. The speaker typically wants to highlight the effort invested, implying the result was important or precious. This pattern is common in narratives and complaints.

Examples

  1. 我好不容易才找到一份满意的工作。 I finally found a job I'm satisfied with after much difficulty.
  2. 他好容易才说服父母同意他出国留学。 He had a really hard time convincing his parents to let him study abroad.
  3. 我们好不容易才买到那场演唱会的票。 We had such a hard time getting tickets to that concert.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

  • 好不容易等到周末，我就想好好休息一下。
  • 他好容易才戒了烟，你别在他面前抽。
  • 我们好不容易才凑齐了首付的钱。
  • 好容易才把孩子哄睡着了，你小点声。

Don't Say

  • 我好不容易就找到了工作。(好不容易 should pair with 才 to emphasize the hard-won nature — 就 suggests ease, which contradicts the meaning) → 我好不容易才找到了工作。
  • 这道题好不容易。(好不容易 is an adverbial expression meaning 'with great difficulty,' not a predicate adjective — use 很不容易 or 很难 instead) → 这道题很不容易。

Origin & History

The coexistence of 好容易 and 好不容易 with the same meaning is a classic example of Chinese rhetorical equivalence. Here 好 serves as an intensifier, and the 不 in 好不容易 is semantically absorbed, creating an idiomatic expression where affirmative and negative forms converge.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

Adj. + 了（一）点儿 (a bit too) Expresses that something is slightly excessive in a particular quality, serving as a softened or polite way to point out a minor flaw. The pattern conveys a mild complaint or tactful suggestion rather than a harsh criticism. 平时 vs 平常 (usually/normally) Both 平时 and 平常 can mean 'usually' or 'normally,' but they differ in grammatical function and emphasis. 平时 is primarily a time word referring to 'ordinary times,' while 平常 can function as both a time word and an adjective meaning 'ordinary' or 'common.' 总 + 会/得/要/能 (always/eventually) In advanced usage, 总 goes beyond simple 'always' to express inevitability, persistence, or emphatic assertion. When paired with modal verbs like 会, 得, 要, or 能, it conveys that something will certainly happen eventually or that a situation persistently continues. 根本 vs 到底 (fundamentally/on earth) Both 根本 and 到底 can intensify negations or questions, but they serve different rhetorical purposes. 根本 emphasizes absolute negation or fundamental truth ('fundamentally, at its root'), while 到底 presses for a definitive answer or expresses exasperation ('in the end, after all'). Verb/Adj. + 什么 (dismissive challenge) Uses 什么 rhetorically after a verb or adjective to dismissively challenge or reject someone's action or description. The speaker expresses disagreement, annoyance, or the view that the action or quality is unwarranted. 难免 (hard to avoid) Expresses that something undesirable is unavoidable or understandable given the circumstances. It functions as an adverb meaning 'it's inevitable that' or 'it's hard to avoid,' and the speaker uses 难免 to show empathy or acceptance that a negative outcome is natural.
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