Expressing contrariness with "dao"

Level

B2 / HSK4
Level

B2
Level

HSK4
Similar to
- Expressing "on the contrary" with "fan'er" (B2)
- The "however" adverb "que" (B2)
Similar to
- The "however" adverb "que" (HSK4)
- Expressing "on the contrary" with "fan'er" (HSK5)
Used for

Contrasting
Keywords

倒

倒 (dào) can be used to express something is contrary to expectations, acting as a turning point in the sentence. It is generally followed by a positive comment.

Using 倒 as "However"

倒 can be used to express an unexpected situation. Note that 倒 is often followed by 也 or 又 to add further emphasis.

Structure

⋯⋯ ，Subj. + 倒 + (也 / 又) ⋯⋯

Examples

我帮他，倒不是因为喜欢他，是因为他工作很努力。Wǒ bāng tā, dào bù shì yīnwèi xǐhuan tā, shì yīnwèi tā gōngzuò hěn nǔlì.I helped him not because I liked him, but because he worked very hard.
他不是很努力，成绩倒也不错。Tā bù shì hěn nǔlì, chéngjī dào yě bùcuò.He's not very hard-working, but his score isn't bad.
已经是春天了，倒又冷起来了。Yǐjīng shì chūntiān le, dào yòu lěng qǐlái le.It's already spring, but it's getting cold.
不吃药，病倒慢慢好了。Bù chī yào, bìng dào màn man hǎo le.I didn't take any medicine, but I'm getting better.
英语不是他的母语，他说得倒挺地道的。Yīngyǔ bù shì tā de mǔyǔ, tā shuō de dào tǐng dìdào de.English is not his mother language, but he speaks quite like a native speaker.

Using 倒 as "Despite"

Structure

倒 can also be used to express a concession, mostly emphasizing the positive side. 就是、但是、可是、不过 is often used to emphasize undesirable things.

Subj. + 倒 ⋯⋯ ，不过 / 但是 / 就是 ⋯⋯

Examples

我倒是想去旅游，但是现在太忙了，没有时间。Wǒ dào shì xiǎng qù lǚyóu, dànshì xiànzài tài máng le, méiyǒu shíjiān.I do want to go on a trip, but I am too busy to do so now.
这篇文章的内容倒不错，就是太长了。Zhè piān wénzhāng de nèiróng dào bùcuò, jiùshì tài chǎng le.The content of this article is great, but it's a little too long.
这件衣服的样式和大小倒都合适，可是我不喜欢这个颜色。Zhè jiàn yīfú de yàngshì hé dàxiǎo dào dōu héshì, kěshì wǒ bù xǐhuān zhège yánsè.The style and size if this piece of clothes fit me well, but I don't like its color.
你们的服务倒不错，但是对我来说太贵了。Nǐmen de fúwù dào bùcuò, dànshì duì wǒ lái shuō tài guì le.Your service is great, but it's too expensive to me.
我倒想陪你一起去，不过要等到周末。Wǒ dào xiǎng péi nǐ yīqǐ qù, bùguò yào děngdào zhōumò.I want to come with you, but you need to wait until this weekend.

For more on 倒, be sure to check our C1 (advanced) grammar point on expressing contrariness with 倒.

Sources and further reading

Books

Expressing contrariness with "dao"

Contents

Using 倒 as "However"

Structure

Examples

Using 倒 as "Despite"

Structure

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books