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ほうがよかった

should have; would have been better

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phrase Rare #42,052
should have; would have been better With a verb in the past form, ～たほうがよかった expresses regret or advice about what would have been better to do. With a noun or noun phrase, ～のほうがよかった means that option was better or preferable.
JA: もっと早く出発したほうがよかった。
EN: We should have left earlier.

多分、トムにそのことを伝えたほうがよかったんだよ。

Maybe you should have told Tom about it.

トムはメアリーに謝ったほうがよかったんだ。

Tom should have apologized to Mary.

前のほうがよかった

The previous one was better.

— ROMA/ローマ (2018)

彼らは黙っていたほうがよかったのに。

They should have kept quiet.