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<title>Expressing not knowing how to do something using "hao"</title>
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<h1>Expressing not knowing how to do something using "hao"
</h1>

<p>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.
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<h2>Contents</h2>

  
<div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Examples </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 See also </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Sources and further reading </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.1 Books</span></li>
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<h3>Structure</h3>

<div class="deux">Subj. + 不知道 + [Verb Phrase] + 好</div>

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

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

<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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 . </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我们 都 不 知道 说 什么 好 。
Wǒmen dōu bù zhīdào shuō shénme hǎo.
None of us knew what to say. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">老板 不 知道 怪 谁 好 。
Lǎobǎn bù zhīdào guài shéi hǎo.
The boss wasn't sure who to blame. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">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.</span><br/></li>
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<h3>See also</h3>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Expressing lateness with "cai" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Expressing Difficulty with "hao (bu) rongyi" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Result complement "-hao"</span><br/></li>
</ul>
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<h3>Sources and further reading</h3>

<h4>Books</h4>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Boya Chinese Upper Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语中级冲刺篇) (pp. 77) →buy</span><br/></li>
</ul>
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