Writing
反倒 (fǎn dào) — how to say "on the contrary" in Chinese
反倒
On the contrary, instead
modal adverb
How to use it
Goes before the verb and shows the speaker's attitude.
他反倒更高兴了。
tā fǎn dào gèng gāo xìng le
He, on the contrary, became even happier.
Character composition
反
against, reverse
倒
to fall, contrary
Radicals / Keys
又
Again
#29 · yòu · 2 strokes
人
Man
#9 · rén · 2 strokes
Collocations
反倒吃亏
fǎn dào chīkuī
to end up worse off instead
Examples
我以为他会拒绝，他反倒同意了。
I thought he would refuse, but on the contrary, he agreed.
他没生气，反倒笑了。
He didn't get angry; instead, he laughed.
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Frequently asked questions
On the contrary meaning in Chinese
"on the contrary" in Chinese is 反倒 (fǎn dào).
What does 反倒 mean in English?
反倒 (fǎn dào) means "On the contrary, instead".
How is 反倒 pronounced?
It is pronounced fǎn dào (written as fan dao, fandao). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "on the contrary" in Chinese characters?
It is written 反倒: 反 has 4 strokes, 倒 has 10 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 反倒?
反倒 is on the HSK 3.0 levels 7–9 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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