Yukaそれはよかった！— This short phrase carries so much warmth in Japanese. It’s one of the most natural responses when you hear good news from someone.
Reiそれはよかった means “I’m glad to hear that!” or “That’s good news!” The よかった is the past tense of よい (good), and それは frames it as a response to what was just shared.
| Expression | Meaning / Nuance |
|---|---|
| それはよかった！ | I’m so glad to hear that! / That’s great news! |
| よかった！ | That’s a relief! / Thank goodness! (for yourself) |
| それはよかったですね。 | Polite version — I’m glad to hear that. |
| よかったね！ | I’m happy for you! (for someone else) |
Breaking Down それはよかった
それ (sore) = that / it. は (wa) = topic marker. よかった (yokatta) = was good (past tense of よい). Together: “That was good / I’m glad that was good.” In conversation, it responds to what the other person just said — “I’m glad THAT happened.”
Natural Use in Conversation
- A: 試験に合格した！— I passed the exam!
B: それはよかった！— I’m so glad to hear that! - A: 病気が治ったよ。— My illness got better.
B: それはよかったですね。— I’m really glad to hear that. - A: 無事に着いたよ。— I arrived safely.
B: それはよかった！心配してたよ。— I’m relieved! I was worried.
よかった Alone — Personal Relief
よかった by itself (without それは) often expresses personal relief — “Thank goodness!” or “What a relief!”
- 間に合ってよかった！— Thank goodness I made it in time!
- けがなくてよかった。— I’m relieved there were no injuries.
- 合格できてよかった。— I’m so glad I passed.
Common Mistakes for English Speakers
English speakers sometimes respond to good news with 本当に? (Really?) or すごい！(Amazing!) — both fine, but それはよかった is the warmest, most natural “I’m happy for you” response. Learn it as a ready-made reaction phrase.
Quick Quiz
How do you respond when a friend says “I found a great new job!”?
Answer: それはよかった！/ それはよかったね！
Practice with a Tutor
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