"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 zhè ge yào, bìng fǎn ér gèng yán zhòng 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。Zhè ge xīn xì tǒng fǎn ér jiàng dī le wǒ men de gōng zuò xiào lǜ.This new system actually reduced our work efficiency.
- 他没有放弃，反而更努力了！Tā méi yǒu fàng qì, fǎn ér gèng nǔ lì 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。Gǎi gé fǎn ér ràng lǎo bǎi xìng gèng bù mǎn yì le.Reform actually made the people less satisfied.
- 你的参与反而给我们带来了麻烦。Nǐ de cān yù fǎn ér gěi wǒ men dài lái le má fan.Your involvement is actually giving us trouble.