What does it mean word for word?
よかった is the past tense of the adjective ii (good), so it literally means "it was good".
Which one should you use?
While よかった is the standard form, you might use よかったね for a more conversational, informal tone or 安心した to specifically express that you feel relieved. In highly formal situations, you can use ほっと一安心（ほっとひとあんしん）です.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form よかった is informal and used with friends, family or people of equal status. For a polite version suitable for superiors, strangers or professional settings, use よかったです. The phrase ほっと一安心（ほっとひとあんしん）です is a formal way to convey relief.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Tohoku Dialect, you may hear 良かったっちゃ to express "what a relief".
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the expression more polite, you can add desu to the end to form よかったです.
How do you pronounce it?
yokatta
Did you know?
- When using the formal version ほっと一安心（ほっとひとあんしん）です, the 'hotto' part is actually an onomatopoeia. It mimics the sound or the feeling of a sudden, soft release of tension.
- Depending on the intonation, よかった can change from an expression of relief to a sarcastic comment meaning 'too bad' or 'good for you' in a mocking way.
- The word 安心（あんしん）, which is part of the formal relief phrase ほっと一安心, contains the character for 'heart' (心). This implies that true relief is not just a mental state, but a settling of the heart itself.
Examples in context
- 長い手術が終わり、無事に成功しました。ほっと一安心です。After the long surgery, it finished successfully without any issues. It's such a relief.
- 試験が終わって、結果が良かったよ。安心した。The exam is over, and I got good results. I'm relieved.
- テストが満点でした。よかった。Tesuto ga manten deshita. Yokatta.I got a perfect score on the test. What a relief.
- 財布が見つかって、本当によかった。Saifu ga mitsukatte, hontou ni yokatta.I found my wallet, so I'm truly relieved.
- 雨が降らなくて、よかったですね。Ame ga furanakute, yokatta desu ne.It didn't rain, what a relief.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a lost item being found.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太くん、鍵は見つかった？Youta-kun, kagi wa mitsukatta?Youta, did you find your keys?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、カバンの中にあったよ。Un, kaban no naka ni atta yo.Yeah, they were in my bag.
- 美咲 Misaki本当によかった！Hontou ni yokatta!What a relief!
- 陽太 Yotaありがとう、美咲ちゃん。Arigatou, Misaki-chan.Thanks, Misaki.
