Common Fixed Expressions: 不怎么, 好不容易, 那倒是, 算了
不怎么, 好不容易, 那倒是 and 算了 are four set expressions of everyday speech. 不怎么 means not particularly, 好不容易 means with great difficulty and is not a negative, 那倒是 grants a point, and 算了 means forget it.
好不容易 = 'with great difficulty, finally...' — a classic trap: 好不 here is an intensifier prefix (好 = 'very'), NOT a negation! 好不容易 = 很不容易 = 'very difficult', not 'not difficult'. Always paired with 才 in the result clause.
那倒是 = 'that's true / fair point' — concedes the other speaker's point in conversation, usually followed by 不过/可是 to pivot back.
算了 = 'forget it / never mind' — drops an idea, argument, or search; signals giving up gracefully.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这家餐厅的菜不怎么好吃，我们换一家吧。 | Zhè jiā cān tīng de cài bù zěn me hǎo chī, wǒ men huàn yì jiā ba. | The food at this restaurant isn't really that good — let's go somewhere else. | Minimal 不怎么 frame: mild negative degree before an adjective (好吃) |
| 他好不容易才找到一份满意的工作。 | Tā hǎo bù róng yì cái zhǎo dào yí fèn mǎn yì de gōng zuò. | It was only with great difficulty that he finally found a satisfying job. | 好不容易 (= very difficult, NOT a negation) paired with 才 in the result clause |
| “你说得对。”“那倒是，不过我们还是得再商量一下。” | Nǐ shuō de duì. Nà dào shì, bú guò wǒ men hái shì děi zài shāng liang yí xià. | 'You're right.' 'That's true, but we still need to discuss it a bit more.' | 那倒是 concedes the point, then 不过 pivots to a reservation — a two-part conversational move |
| 算了，别再提这件事了。 | Suàn le, bié zài tí zhè jiàn shì le. | Forget it — let's not bring this up again. | 算了 opens the sentence to drop a topic entirely, signaling resignation/letting go |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
不怎么 (bù zěn me)
Softens an adjective or verb to 'not very' or 'not really'.
Structure: 不怎么 + adjective/verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我不怎么喝咖啡，晚上会睡不着。 | Wǒ bù zěn me hē kā fēi, wǎn shang huì shuì bu zháo. | I do not really drink coffee, I cannot sleep at night. |
| 他不怎么说话，但是很会听别人讲。 | Tā bù zěn me shuō huà, dàn shì hěn huì tīng bié rén jiǎng. | He does not talk much, but he is good at listening. |
| 今天不怎么冷，不用穿厚衣服。 | Jīn tiān bù zěn me lěng, bú yòng chuān hòu yī fu. | It is not very cold today, there is no need for thick clothes. |
Not: 我不怎么非常喜欢他。 不怎么 already weakens the sense, so it cannot be combined with 非常.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, set phrases (其他).
好不容易 (hǎo bù róng yì)
Means 'with great difficulty'; 好不 is an intensifier here, not a negation.
Structure: 好不容易 + 才 + result
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我好不容易才买到了回家的火车票。 | Wǒ hǎo bù róng yì cái mǎi dào le huí jiā de huǒ chē piào. | I had a hard time getting a train ticket home. |
| 孩子好不容易睡着了，请小声一点。 | Hái zi hǎo bù róng yì shuì zháo le, qǐng xiǎo shēng yì diǎn. | The child has only just fallen asleep, please keep it down. |
| 找了半年，好不容易才租到合适的房子。 | Zhǎo le bàn nián, hǎo bù róng yì cái zū dào hé shì de fáng zi. | After half a year of looking, I finally rented a suitable flat. |
Not: 好不容易他就找到了工作。 The result after 好不容易 is marked with 才, not 就.
那倒是 (nà dào shì)
Concedes that the other person has a fair point.
Structure: 那倒是, (不过 + other view)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 那倒是，下雨天出门确实不方便。 | Nà dào shì, xià yǔ tiān chū mén què shí bù fāng biàn. | That is true, going out on a rainy day really is inconvenient. |
| 那倒是，我怎么没想到呢？ | Nà dào shì, wǒ zěn me méi xiǎng dào ne? | True, why did I not think of that? |
| 那倒是，不过再便宜也要看质量。 | Nà dào shì, bú guò zài pián yi yě yào kàn zhì liàng. | True, but however cheap it is, quality matters. |
Not: 那倒是不对，我不同意你。 那倒是 agrees with the other person; to disagree say 那倒不一定.
算了 (suàn le)
Drops a topic, plan or argument: 'forget it'.
Structure: 算了, + new decision
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 算了，天这么晚了，我们明天再去吧。 | Suàn le, tiān zhè me wǎn le, wǒ men míng tiān zài qù ba. | Forget it, it is so late, let us go tomorrow. |
| 他不想来就算了，不要勉强他。 | Tā bù xiǎng lái jiù suàn le, bú yào miǎn qiǎng tā. | If he does not want to come, never mind, do not force him. |
| 这件事算了吧，别再追究了。 | Zhè jiàn shì suàn le ba, bié zài zhuī jiū le. | Let us let this go and stop chasing it. |
Not: 我算了不去了。 算了 stands as its own short clause: 算了，我不去了.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 6, set phrases (其他).
What this opens up
These patterns list Common Fixed Expressions among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Common Fixed Expressions
What does 常用固定短语 (Common Fixed Expressions) mean in Chinese?
不怎么, 好不容易, 那倒是 and 算了 are four set expressions of everyday speech. 不怎么 means not particularly, 好不容易 means with great difficulty and is not a negative, 那倒是 grants a point, and 算了 means forget it. It is an HSK 6 grammar point.
How do you use 常用固定短语 (Common Fixed Expressions) in a sentence?
这家餐厅的菜不怎么好吃，我们换一家吧。 — Zhè jiā cān tīng de cài bù zěn me hǎo chī, wǒ men huàn yì jiā ba. — The food at this restaurant isn't really that good — let's go somewhere else. Minimal 不怎么 frame: mild negative degree before an adjective (好吃).
Where does 常用固定短语 (Common Fixed Expressions) come in the HSK sequence?
HSK 6, and none of its prerequisites are grammar points — nothing else on this reference has to come first, so you can start here.
What does 常用固定短语 (Common Fixed Expressions) lead to?
Colloquial Spoken Patterns (HSK 6). Each of them names 常用固定短语 (Common Fixed Expressions) among its own prerequisites.
Does 好不容易 mean easy or difficult?
It means difficult. 好不 works as an intensifier, so 好不容易 is the same as 很不容易. It is almost always followed by 才: 好不容易才找到。
When do I say 那倒是 and when 对?
对 simply says you are right. 那倒是 sounds like you had not thought of it, and it often leads to a 不过 clause that adds your own view: 那倒是，不过我还是想试试。
Common Fixed Expressions is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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