LEARN + CHINESE / 243 of 300 HSK 7–9
No Wonder 怪不得
The lights came back on just as the guests arrived. “怪不得，屋里这么亮”—no wonder the room is so bright. 怪不得 links a clue to its explanation; 好在 points out what saved a situation; 乃 can make a formal identification in written Chinese.
Connect a Clue to Its Result
怪不得 means “no wonder.” Put the result first, then use it to show that the reason you have just learned explains what happened.
这家商店的员工态度很好，怪不得顾客这么多。
zhè jiā shāngdiàn de yuángōng tàidu hěn hǎo, guàibude gùkè zhème duō.
The staff at this shop are very friendly; no wonder it has so many customers.
Hint · 힌트
怪不得 often appears with 原来 when the speaker has just discovered the explanation.
Point Out What Went Right
好在 means “fortunately” or “at least.” It introduces the detail that kept a situation from becoming worse.
好在我带了伞，没被雨淋湿。
hǎozài wǒ dài le sǎn, méi bèi yǔ lín shī.
Luckily, I brought an umbrella and did not get wet.
Hint · 힌트
好在 usually precedes the fortunate fact, not the result that was avoided.
Make a Formal Identification
乃 is a formal written equivalent of 是 in statements such as “failure is the mother of success.” It links two noun phrases and sounds literary.
失败乃成功之母。
shībài nǎi chénggōng zhī mǔ.
Failure is the mother of success.
Hint · 힌트
In everyday conversation, use 是. Reserve 乃 for formal writing, quotations, or an elevated style.
In Real Life
怪不得 looks back from a result to its newly understood reason. 好在 marks a detail that helped, while 乃 belongs to formal statements and quotations.
Vocabulary
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
guàibude | no wonder; so that's why |
nánguài | no wonder; understandable |
yuánlái | original; formerly; it turns out |
shìqing | matter; thing |
jiéguǒ | result; as a result |
shēngbìng | to get sick |
lái | to come |
chídào | to arrive late |
jiěshì | to explain |
hǎozài | fortunately; luckily |
sǎn | umbrella |
xiàyǔ | to rain |
lín | to sprinkle; to drench |
nǎi | to be; thus; so |
shībài | to fail; failure |
chénggōng | success; successful |
yuányīn | reason; cause |
gùkè | customer |
shāngdiàn | shop; store |
yuángōng | staff; employee |
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