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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing "on the contrary" with 反倒 (fǎndào)

    HSK 4
    Connecting Ideas
    Result & Consequence

    Structure

    Situation, 反倒 + Unexpected Result

    Explanation

    反倒 is a colloquial synonym of 反而, meaning "on the contrary" or "instead." It expresses that something turned out the opposite of what was expected, often with a tone of surprise or irony. It is more common in spoken Chinese than 反而.

    Examples

    • 我好心提醒他，他反倒生气了。

      Wǒ hǎoxīn tíxǐng tā, tā fǎndào shēngqì le.

      I kindly reminded him, but he got angry instead.

    • 越是着急，反倒越容易出错。

      Yuè shì zhāojí, fǎndào yuè róngyì chūcuò.

      The more anxious you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes.

    • 大家都紧张，她反倒特别淡定。

      Dàjiā dōu jǐnzhāng, tā fǎndào tèbié dàndìng.

      Everyone was nervous, but she was remarkably calm instead.

    Expressing "on the contrary" with 反倒 (fǎndào) | Chinese Grammar