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Expressing "however" with 却 (què)
HSK 4Connecting Ideas
Structure
Clause 1, Subject + 却 + Verb Phrase
Explanation
却 (què) is an adverb meaning "however" or "but" that is placed before the verb in the second clause to express contrast. Unlike 但是, which connects clauses as a conjunction, 却 is embedded within the clause and adds a stronger sense of surprise or unexpectedness.
Examples
大家都觉得很简单，他却怎么也学不会。
dàjiā dōu juéde hěn jiǎndān, tā què zěnme yě xué bú huì.
Everyone thinks it's very easy, yet he just can't learn it no matter what.
我等了她一个小时，她却连电话都没打。
wǒ děng le tā yí gè xiǎoshí, tā què lián diànhuà dōu méi dǎ.
I waited for her for an hour, yet she didn't even make a phone call.
别人都在休息，他却还在加班。
biérén dōu zài xiūxi, tā què hái zài jiābān.
Everyone else is resting, yet he is still working overtime.