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How to use 居然 (jūrán) and 反而 (fǎn'ér) in Chinese

居然 (jūrán): unexpectedly (surprise) / 反而 (fǎn'ér): on the contrary

Comparing "居然 (jūrán)" and "反而 (fǎn'ér)"

HSK 6Adverbs

Rule structure

居然 (jūrán) expresses surprise that something happened contrary to expectation. 反而 (fǎn'ér) expresses that the result is the opposite of what was expected.

Examples

他居然迟到了。 / 帮忙反而添了乱。

Tā jūrán chídào le. / Bāngmáng fǎn'ér tiān le luàn.

He was unexpectedly late. / Helping actually made things worse.

Practice

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Frequently asked questions

How do you express “Comparing "居然 (jūrán)" and "反而 (fǎn'ér)"” in Chinese?

Use the structure: 居然 (jūrán): unexpectedly (surprise) / 反而 (fǎn'ér): on the contrary. For example: 他居然迟到了。 / 帮忙反而添了乱。 — “He was unexpectedly late. / Helping actually made things worse.”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

他居然迟到了。 / 帮忙反而添了乱。 — “He was unexpectedly late. / Helping actually made things worse.”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 6.

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