却 (què)

却 (què)  

As an adverb, 却 means but or yet, which indicates that following actions or status are beyond the expectation or contradict the previous situations.

Note that in the subject-predicate clause, 却 has to be put after the subject; in the sentence without subject, 却 needs to be put before the predicate.

Common patterns

尽管/虽然/即使……，……却……

e.g.

尽管那个地方很危险，他却仍然要去。(Jǐnguǎn nà ge dìfāng hěn wēixiǎn, tā què réngrán yào qù.) Although the place is dangerous, he still wants to go.

虽然刚开始他说不参加，最后却来了。(Suīrán gāng kāishǐ tā shuō bù cānjiā, zuìhòu què lái le.) Although he said not to participate at first, he finally came.

即使你很努力了，有时候结果却不理想。(Jíshǐ nǐ hěn nǔlìle, yǒu shíhòu jiéguǒ què bù lǐxiǎng.) Even if you work hard, sometimes the results are not ideal.

(明明）……，Subject + 却 + 偏/偏偏/反倒……

(明明) ……，(Subject +) 却 + 反而……/(Subject +) 反而 + (Subject +) 却……

e.g.

我们特地来找他，他却偏/偏偏不在。(Wǒmen tèdì lái zhǎo tā, tā què piān/piān piān bú zài.) We came to him specially, but he was/is not there.

明明是他打碎了，他却反而不承认。(Míngmíng shì tā dǎ suì le, tā què fǎn ér bù chéngrèn.) Obviously he broke it, but he refused to admit it.

他离这里最近，反而却最晚才到。(Tā lí zhèlǐ zuì jìn, fǎn’ér què zuì wǎn cái dào.) He is closed here but he arrived late.

明明上面写着他的名字，他却反倒说不知道。(Míngmíng shàngmiàn xiě zhe tā de míngzì, tā què fǎn dào shuō bù zhīdào.) Obviously his name was written on it, but instead he said that he didn’t know.

 

……，但/但是  (+ Subject) + 却……

e.g.

书找到了，但/但是却不是我要的那个版本。(Shū zhǎo dào le, dàn/dànshì què bú shì wǒ yào de nà gè bǎnběn.) The book was found, but it was not the version I wanted.

他学了两年汉语，但/但是却一句汉话都说不出来。(Tā xué le liǎng nián hànyǔ, dàn/dànshì què yī jù hànyǔ dōu shuō bù chūlái.) He has studied Chinese for two years, but he can’t speak a word of Chinese.

我觉得这次考试没考好，但/但是却得了第一名。(Wǒ juédé zhè cì kǎoshì méi kǎo hǎo, dàn/dànshì què déle dì yī míng.) I don’t think I did well in this exam, but I won the first place.

他为我做了很多事，但/但是我却不知道。(Tā wèi wǒ zuòle hěn duō shì, dàn / dànshì wǒ què bù zhīdào.) He did lots of things for me but I didn’t know it.