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Expressing "opposite to" with 相反 (xiāngfǎn)
HSK 5Structure
相反 + Clause
Explanation
The word 相反 (xiāngfǎn) means "opposite" or "on the contrary." It is used to indicate that something is the reverse of what was previously stated or expected. You can place 相反 at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a contrasting idea, or use it as an adjective to describe something as opposite.
Examples
他说往左走，但结果相反，应该往右走。
Tā shuō wǎng zuǒ zǒu, dàn jiéguǒ xiāngfǎn, yīnggāi wǎng yòu zǒu.
He said to go left, but it was the opposite—we should have gone right.
我以为她会生气，相反，她笑了起来。
wǒ yǐwéi tā huì shēngqì, xiāngfǎn, tā xiào le qǐlái.
I thought she would get angry, but on the contrary, she laughed.
这两个人的性格完全相反，一个很安静，一个很活泼。
zhè liǎng gè rén de xìnggé wánquán xiāngfǎn, yī gè hěn ānjìng, yī gè hěn huópō.
These two people have completely opposite personalities — one is very quiet, the other very lively.