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JLPT N4Expressions

といい / といいですね— I hope / It would be nice if

Expresses hope or desire that something will happen — often said on behalf of someone or about a future situation.

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Pro lessonUNIT 89 · EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Plain form] + といい(ですね)

Examples · 例文

  • 明日、晴れるといいですね。

    Ashita, hareru to ii desu ne.

    I hope it'll be sunny tomorrow.

    晴れる + といいですね = I hope it'll be sunny

  • 試験に合格するといいね。

    Shiken ni goukaku suru to ii ne.

    I hope you pass the exam.

    合格する + といいね = I hope you pass

  • 早く元気になるといいですね。

    Hayaku genki ni naru to ii desu ne.

    I hope you get well soon.

    元気になる + といいですね = I hope you recover

Usage notes · 注意

  • Key Concept: といい = I hope (for others or a situation).
  • Detail: Contrast with ばよかった (I wish I had) and てほしい (I want you to).
  • Note: ね adds warmth.
  • Formal: とよいですね.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones といい is tested against.

vs〜てほしい

といい expresses a hope about how a situation turns out (often beyond anyone's control — 晴れるといい); てほしい expresses wanting a specific person to do something (来てほしい = I want you to come).

vsばよかった

といい(ですね) is hope about the future; ばよかった is regret about the past ('I wish I had ~').

More expressions

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