好容易

hǎoróngyì

adverb #32,207

Meanings

1 with great difficulty; after much trouble
2 finally (after much effort)

Characters

very; so (intensifier)

Counterintuitively, 'so easy' actually means 'with great difficulty' — emphasizing effort.

Examples

我好容易才找到这个地方。

Wǒ hǎo róngyì cái zhǎodào zhège dìfāng.

I had a hard time finding this place.

好容易等到了周末。

Hǎo róngyì děng dào le zhōumò.

I finally waited until the weekend (with difficulty).

好容易买到的票，别浪费了。

Hǎo róngyì mǎi dào de piào, bié làngfèi le.

The tickets were so hard to get; don't waste them.

Tips

usage

好容易 = 好不容易 — both mean 'with great difficulty.' This is one of Chinese's famous paradoxes: adding or removing 不 doesn't change the meaning. Both emphasize that something was very hard to achieve.

Stroke Order

好 hǎo

容 róng

易 yì