"But" StatementsHSK 5
Expressing contrariness with 倒
The adverb 倒 expresses that something is contrary to expectations, often appearing in the second clause after a statement that sets up an expectation. It can be translated as 'actually' or 'but surprisingly' and is sometimes paired with 也 or 又 to sound less abrupt. Note that this is distinct from 倒's use as a verb meaning 'to fall.'
Structure
⋯⋯ ，Subj. + 倒 + (也 / 又) ⋯⋯
The first clause creates an expectation, which 倒 contradicts.
Examples
- 我帮他，倒不是因为喜欢他，是因为他工作很努力。Wǒ bāng tā, dǎo bú shì yīn wèi xǐ huan tā, shì yīn wèi tā gōng zuò hěn nǔ lì.I helped him not because I liked him, but because he worked very hard.
- 他不是很努力，成绩倒也不错。Tā bú shì hěn nǔ lì, chéng jì dǎo yě bú cuò.He's not very hard-working, but his scores also aren't bad.
- 已经是春天了，倒又冷起来了。Yǐ jīng shì chūn tiān le, dǎo yòu lěng qǐ lái le.It's already spring, but it's actually getting colder.
- 不吃药，病倒慢慢好了。Bù chī yào, bìng dǎo màn màn hǎo le.Without taking any medicine, I'm actually slowly getting better.
- 英语不是他的母语，他说得倒挺地道的。Yīng yǔ bú shì tā de mǔ yǔ, tā shuō dé dǎo tǐng dì dào de.English is not his mother language, but he speaks quite native-like.