てよかった (te yokatta): Expressing Relief and Gladness in Japanese

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てよかった (te yokatta): Expressing Relief and Gladness in Japanese
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

“I’m glad that…” or “It was good that…”

🎯 Primary Function

To express the speaker’s positive evaluation, satisfaction, or relief regarding a past event or state.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (て-form) + よかった
i-adjective (drop い) + くて + よかった
na-adjective/Noun + で + よかった
Verb (ない form, drop い) + なくて + よかった

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used but less frequently. Often includes です/ます (e.g., よかったです) to maintain politeness.

😊 Informal Situations

Extremely common and natural in casual conversation among friends and family.

✍️ Written Language

Common in informal writing like diaries, blogs, or casual emails. Less common in formal documents.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Highly frequent, serving as an important structure for expressing personal feelings and reflection.

💡 Common Applications

Expressing Relief After a Worrying Situation
Used when something undesirable was avoided or when a stressful event turned out successfully.
Example: 遅刻しなくてよかった。 (I’m glad I wasn’t late.)
Affirming a Past Decision as Positive
Used to express satisfaction or happiness regarding a choice or action taken in the past.
Example: 旅行に行ってよかった。 (I’m glad I went on the trip.)
Expressing Relief that an Action Was NOT Taken (Negative Form)
Uses the V-なくてよかった form to express relief that a negative action was avoided.
Example: 傘を持っていかなくてよかった。 (I’m glad I didn’t take an umbrella.)
📊
Frequency
High (Very common in daily conversation)
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
試験が終わってよかった。
Furigana: しけんが おわって よかった。
Romaji: Shiken ga owatte yokatta.
English: I’m glad the exam is over.
Example #2
あなたに会えてよかった。
Furigana: あなたに あえて よかった。
Romaji: Anata ni aete yokatta.
English: I’m glad I could meet you.
Example #3
財布を忘れなくてよかった。
Furigana: さいふを わすれなくて よかった。
Romaji: Saifu o wasurenakute yokatta.
English: I’m glad I didn’t forget my wallet.
Example #4
天気が良くてよかったですね。
Furigana: てんきが よくって よかったですね。
Romaji: Tenki ga yokute yokatta desu ne.
English: I’m glad the weather is good, aren’t I? (Used when addressing someone else)
Example #5
寒くなくてよかった。
Furigana: さむくなくて よかった。
Romaji: Samukunakute yokatta.
English: I’m glad it wasn’t cold.
Example #6
彼女が元気でよかった。
Furigana: かのじょが げんきで よかった。
Romaji: Kanojo ga genki de yokatta.
English: I’m glad she is well/healthy.
Example #7
間に合ってよかった。
Furigana: まにあって よかった。
Romaji: Man ni atte yokatta.
English: I’m relieved that I made it in time.
Example #8
諦めずに最後まで頑張ってよかった。
Furigana: あきらめずに さいごまで がんばって よかった。
Romaji: Akiramezu ni saigo made ganbatte yokatta.
English: I’m glad I didn’t give up and worked hard until the end.
Example #9
この大学を選んでよかった。
Furigana: この だいがくを えらんで よかった。
Romaji: Kono daigaku o erande yokatta.
English: I’m glad I chose this university.
Example #10
あの時、あの会社を辞めなくて本当によかった。
Furigana: あの とき、あの かいしゃを やめなくて ほんとうに よかった。
Romaji: Ano toki, ano kaisha o yamenakute hontō ni yokatta.
English: I’m really glad I didn’t quit that company at that time.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Expressing relief for a non-occurrence
The negative form V-なくてよかった is used to express relief that a certain action was successfully avoided.
Example: あの店に入らなくてよかった。 (I’m glad I didn’t go into that store.)
Applicable to States and Adjectives
The structure can be used to express relief about the state of others, not just the speaker’s actions.
Example: 元気でよかった。 (I’m glad you/they are well.)
Polite Form: よかったです
Adding です to よかった makes the expression polite, suitable for speaking with superiors or acquaintances.
Example: 間に合ってよかったです。

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using the plain past tense form (e.g., 買ったよかった)
✅ V-てよかった (e.g., 買ってよかった)
The structure requires the verb to be in the て-form to connect the action to the evaluation (よかった). The plain past form (V-た) is incorrect here.
❌ Using the simple negative past form (e.g., 食べなかったよかった)
✅ V-なくてよかった (e.g., 食べなくてよかった)
To express gladness that an action *did not* happen, the V-ない form must be conjugated into the なくて form.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Standard (Casual to Polite). Adding です makes it appropriate for most standard social contexts (e.g., よかったです).
Social Situations: Commonly used when concluding a shared experience, expressing gratitude for an outcome, or reflecting on a personal decision.
Regional Variations: The structure is standard across Japan. However, regional dialects might use different particles or final words for emphasis.

🔍 Subtle Differences

Vてよかった vs. Vたほうがいい
Vてよかった expresses satisfaction/relief about a past event. Vたほうがいい expresses advice or a recommendation (you had better/should have done…) regarding a current or future action.
When to use: Use Vてよかった for reflecting on a completed choice. Use Vたほうがいい for giving or receiving advice.
Vてよかった vs. Vたい (I want to)
Vてよかった expresses an evaluation of a completed action. Vたい expresses a desire for a future action.
When to use: Use Vてよかった for relief/satisfaction. Use Vたい to state a wish.

📝 Conjugation Notes

The particle て is essential as it acts as a connection between the preceding action/state and the evaluative adjective 良い, which is in its past form (よかった). The negative form (なくて) follows the same conjugation rule as the negative i-adjective (くない -> なくて).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Ensure smooth connection between the て-form and よかった. The double ‘t’ sound in よかった (yokatta) should be clearly pronounced.

🧠 Memory Tips

Remember the phrase by linking the ‘T’ of the “te-form” with the word “good” (yokatta). T + Y: “Te Yokatta” = “Glad that happened.”

Other Grammar

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