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How to say “contrary to expectations” with 偏偏 (piānpiān)

Subj. + 偏偏 (piānpiān) + Verb (undesirable coincidence)

偏 (piān) — contrary to expectations

HSK 6Adverbs

Rule structure

偏偏 (piānpiān) expresses that something happens contrary to expectations or wishes, often with a tone of annoyance. "just my luck, of all things".

Examples

我正急着走，偏偏下雨了。

Wǒ zhèng jízhe zǒu, piānpiān xià yǔ le.

I was in a hurry, but of course it had to rain.

Practice

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say “contrary to expectations” in Chinese with 偏?

Use the structure: Subj. + 偏偏 (piānpiān) + Verb (undesirable coincidence). For example: 我正急着走，偏偏下雨了。 — “I was in a hurry, but of course it had to rain.”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

我正急着走，偏偏下雨了。 — “I was in a hurry, but of course it had to rain.”.

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)