"But" StatementsHSK 5
Expressing "on the contrary" with 反而
反而 is an adverb meaning 'on the contrary' or 'actually', used to express an opposite or unexpected outcome. It is placed in the second clause, after the subject and before the verb. Keep in mind that 反而 is an adverb, not a conjunction, so it cannot be used alone to join two clauses; however, it can be combined with 但是 for emphasis.
Structure
Clause 1 ， Subj. + 反而 + Unexpected Outcome
Position of 反而: after the subject and before the verb. Can be used with 但是 for added emphasis.
Examples
- 吃了这个药，病反而更严重了。Chī le zhège yào, bìng fǎn'ér gèng yánzhòng le.After taking the medicine, the illness actually got even worse.
- 这个新系统反而降低了我们的工作效率。Zhège xīn xìtǒng fǎn'ér jiàngdī le wǒmen de gōngzuò xiàolǜ.This new system actually reduced our work efficiency.
- 他没有放弃，反而更努力了！Tā méiyǒu fàngqì, fǎn'ér gèng nǔlì le!He didn't give up; on the contrary, he worked even harder.
- 改革反而让老百姓更不满意了。Gǎigé fǎn'ér ràng lǎobǎixìng gèng bù mǎnyì le.Reform actually made the people less satisfied.
- 你的参与反而给我们带来了麻烦。Nǐ de cānyù fǎn'ér gěi wǒmen dài lái le máfan.Your involvement is actually giving us trouble.