倒
dào
To pour, to reverse
How to use 倒 (dào) for “on the contrary” and “actually”
倒 (dào) + Verb / Adj. (surprise, concession, softening)
倒 (dǎo) — contrary, unexpected
HSK 6Adverbs
倒 (dào) + Verb / Adj. (surprise, concession, softening)
HSK 6Adverbs倒 (dǎo) — contrary, unexpected
Rule structure
Advanced 倒 (dào) expresses mild surprise, concession, or contrast. It softens the tone, often implying "on the contrary" or "it's fine, but…". Unlike 却 (què), it is less confrontational.
Rule structure
Advanced 倒 (dào) expresses mild surprise, concession, or contrast. It softens the tone, often implying "on the contrary" or "it's fine, but…". Unlike 却 (què), it is less confrontational.
Examples
你说得倒容易！ / 我倒想试试。
Nǐ shuō de dào róngyì! / Wǒ dào xiǎng shìshi.
Easy for you to say! / I, on the other hand, want to try.
Examples
你说得倒容易！ / 我倒想试试。
Nǐ shuō de dào róngyì! / Wǒ dào xiǎng shìshi.
Easy for you to say! / I, on the other hand, want to try.
Practice
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say “contrary, unexpected” in Chinese with 倒?
Use the structure: 倒 (dào) + Verb / Adj. (surprise, concession, softening). For example: 你说得倒容易！ / 我倒想试试。 — “Easy for you to say! / I, on the other hand, want to try”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
你说得倒容易！ / 我倒想试试。 — “Easy for you to say! / I, on the other hand, want to try”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 6.
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More HSK 6 grammar rules
无非 — nothing but
无非 (wúfēi) + Noun / Clause (dismissive)
凡是 — all, every
凡是 (fánshì) + Noun Phrase, 都 (dōu) + Verb
恢复 vs 还原 — restore vs return to original
恢复 (huīfù): restore (state, function) / 还原 (huányuán): restore to original state
居然 vs 反而 — unexpected vs on the contrary
居然 (jūrán): unexpectedly (surprise) / 反而 (fǎn'ér): on the contrary
再…也 — no matter how
再 (zài) + Adj., 也 (yě) + Result
何必 — why bother
何必 (hébì) + Verb Phrase (rhetorical, unnecessary)
不断 vs 不停 — continuous vs nonstop
不断 (bùduàn) + Verb (continuous, unceasing) / 不停 (bùtíng) + Verb (incessant, nonstop)
按照 vs 根据 — according to vs based on
按照 (ànzhào) + Rule / Standard (follow) / 根据 (gēnjù) + Basis / Source (based on)