Japanese grammar · no level in the source

〜てよかったmeaning and usage

Meaning

I'm glad that A was the case/happened. A is an action that was performed in the past. "Glad that A didn't happen" can be done with negative て form.

How to form it

  • verb (te-form)よかった
  • verb (nai-form without ない)なくてよかった
  • い-adjective (-く form)てよかった
  • な-adjective (stem)/nounでよかった

How it is used

Expresses relief or happiness about something that has happened: 'I'm glad (that)…'. The negative 「〜なくてよかった」 means 'glad it didn't…'. 「〜ばよかった」 is the opposite: regret about what you didn't do.

Examples

  1. 傘を持ってきてよかった。

    I'm glad I brought an umbrella.

  2. 試験が難しくなくてよかったです。

    I'm glad the exam wasn't difficult.