时好时坏

• Pinyin: shí hǎo shí huài
• Hanzi breakdown: 时 = 日 + 寺 (sometimes, at a time); 好 = 女 + 子 (good); 时 = 日 + 寺 (sometimes); 坏 = 土 + 不 (bad, broken)

Meaning

Sometimes good, sometimes bad; variable; inconsistent. Describes something that fluctuates between positive and negative states.

A four-character set phrase (成语-like idiom) describing chronic instability or unpredictability. Frequently used for health conditions, relationships, weather, economic performance, and equipment reliability. The symmetrical A-B-A-B structure makes it very natural in both spoken and written Chinese. Similar: 忽好忽坏 (alternating between good and bad).

Examples

1. 老人的病情时好时坏，医生嘱咐家属要密切监测生命体征，一旦出现异常立即通知值班医护人员。 The elderly patient’s condition fluctuates—sometimes better, sometimes worse—and the doctor told the family to closely monitor vital signs and notify the on-duty staff immediately if anything abnormal appears.
2. 这条山区公路的路况时好时坏，雨季过后坑洼尤为严重，驾驶员须格外谨慎控制车速。 Road conditions on this mountain highway are inconsistent; after the rainy season, the potholes are especially severe, so drivers must be extra cautious and keep their speed under control.
3. 两人之间的感情时好时坏，反反复复地分合多次，周围朋友都劝他们认真想清楚再做决定。 Their relationship is on and off, breaking up and getting back together many times, and friends around them keep urging them to think it through carefully before making a decision.

Usage Guide

Context: health, relationships, weather, equipment, economics

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这名运动员的竞技状态时好时坏，在高水平赛事中表现极为不稳定，主教练已决定暂时将其调整为替补席位。(This athlete's competitive form is inconsistent, performing very unstably in high-level competitions; the head coach has decided to temporarily move him to the substitute bench.)
• 公司近几个季度的财务数据时好时坏，令投资者难以判断其真实的盈利能力和长期发展潜力。(The company's financial data over the past several quarters has been variable — sometimes good, sometimes bad — making it difficult for investors to assess its true profitability and long-term growth potential.)

Don't Say

• 时好时坏 for a single isolated instance of good or bad performance — it describes a pattern of oscillation over time, not a one-off event; use 偶尔出差错 (occasionally makes mistakes) or similar for isolated incidents

Origin & History

时好 (sometimes good) + 时坏 (sometimes bad) — reduplicative temporal structure with contrasting adjectives

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal