Expressing not knowing how to do something using "hao"

不知道⋯⋯好 (bù zhīdào... hǎo) is an expression used to indicate and emphasize that the speaker does not know how to do something or at least does not know how to do something well.

Structure

This verb phrase usually includes a question word, like 什么, 谁, 怎么, 哪个, 哪里, 什么时候, etc.

You will sometimes see the adverb 才 preceding the 好, which serves the purpose of emphasis.

Examples

我真的不知道怎么办才好。 Wǒ zhēnde bù zhīdào zěnme bàn cái hǎo. I really don't know what to do about this .
我们都不知道说什么好。 Wǒmen dōu bù zhīdào shuō shénme hǎo. None of us knew what to say.
这件事我不知道跟谁说好。 Zhè jiàn shì wǒ bù zhīdào gēn shéi shuō hǎo. I'm not sure who to talk to about this matter.
老板不知道怪谁好。 Lǎobǎn bù zhīdào guài shéi hǎo. The boss wasn't sure who to blame.
他的短信我不知道怎么回复好。 Tā de duǎnxìn wǒ bù zhīdào zěnme huífù hǎo. I don't know how to reply to his message.
这些钱他不知道放在哪儿才好。 Zhèxiē qián tā bù zhīdào fàng zài nǎr cái hǎo. He doesn't know where to put this money.
下雨天我不知道带孩子去哪儿玩好。 Xiàyǔ tiān wǒ bù zhīdào dài hāizi qù nǎr wán hǎo. On rainy days, I don't know where to take my kid to play.
都很漂亮，我不知道买哪件好。 Dōu hěn piàoliang, wǒ bù zhīdào mǎi nǎ jiàn hǎo. They're all so pretty. I'm not sure which one to buy.
好吃的太多了，孩子们不知道先吃哪个才好。 Hǎochī de tài duō le, háizi men bù zhīdào xiān chī nǎge cái hǎo. There was so much delicious food that the children didn't know where to start eating.
我想问，可是不知道什么时候问才好。 Wǒ xiǎng wèn, kěshì bù zhīdào shénme shíhou wèn cái hǎo. I want to ask, but I'm not sure when to ask.

Expressing not knowing how to do something using "hao"

Contents

Structure

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books