正好是...
Reach for this when something lines up by coincidence in a striking way — 'it just so happens to be...' Use it to highlight that a date, a number, an amount, or a moment matches another thing exactly. Common in news, anecdotes, and small talk where the speaker is calling attention to a fortunate or eerie alignment. The 正好 means 'exactly right, just so'; with 是 it nails an equivalence rather than describing an action.
Structure
正好是 [THE MATCHING THING]
zhènghǎo shì...
How to Think About It
正好 doesn't just mean 'happen to' — it carries a feeling of perfect alignment, like two gears meshing. Pair it with 是 and you're claiming an exact equivalence by coincidence. Drop 是 and you get 正好 + verb ('he came just at the right time'), which works for actions. With 是, the structure equates a moment, date, or number to a named occasion. The 'wow, what timing' tone is the whole point — if there's nothing surprising about the match, you don't need 正好.
Examples
我们见面的那天正好是他的生日。
Wǒmen jiànmiàn de nà tiān zhènghǎo shì tā de shēngrì.
The day we met just happened to be his birthday.
今天正好是星期天，我们去公园吧。
Jīntiān zhènghǎo shì xīngqītiān, wǒmen qù gōngyuán ba.
Today happens to be Sunday — let's go to the park.
他到的时候正好是中午十二点。
Tā dào de shíhou zhènghǎo shì zhōngwǔ shí'èr diǎn.
He arrived at exactly twelve noon.
Common Mistake
Learners use 正好是 for any 'happens to be,' but if the coincidence isn't striking the word feels off — like saying 'it just so happens to be Tuesday.' Native speakers reserve 正好是 for matches that carry weight (a date, an amount, a meaningful moment).
我朋友的名字正好是张三。
我朋友也叫张三，正好和你一样。
Don't Confuse With
刚好是...
Near-synonym. 刚好 leans 'just barely / just right'; 正好 leans 'precisely.' Often interchangeable — use 刚好 if the match feels narrow (just enough), 正好 if it feels exact.
恰好是...
Written/formal cousin meaning the same as 正好是. You'll see 恰好 in news and essays where 正好 would feel too colloquial.
正好 + Verb
Same 正好, no 是. Used when the coincidence is an action, not an equivalence: '我正好路过' (I happened to be passing by). With 是, you equate two things; without 是, you describe an action that lined up.
Practice
今天 ___ 是我妈妈的生日。
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正好
他来的那天，正好 ___ 我休息日。
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是
Put in order: [今天 / 我的 / 生日 / 正好 / 是]
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今天正好是我的生日。
Translate to Chinese: 'The day we got the news happened to be Mother's Day.'
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我们听到消息那天正好是母亲节。
Write a sentence using 正好是 about a coincidence with a date, time, or amount.
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Example answer: 我们结婚那天正好是父亲的七十岁生日。 (The day we got married happened to be my father's seventieth birthday.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 正好是... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.