Comparing "fan'er" and “xiangfan"
The differences 反而 and 相反 are pretty clear. 反而 is an adverb, while 相反 is an adjective, and this determines how they are used grammatically.
Contents
They are put in different parts of the sentence
相反 can be put in the middle of a sentence,and when you use it it should be separated with a comma. 反而 can only be a part of a whole sentence, and cannot include punctuation, however it can be placed in the middle of a sentence.
Structure
A，相反，B
A，反而B
Examples
- 这 个 方法 对 他 来说 没用，相反，对 我 有用。
- 吃 水果 不但 对 他 没 好处，反而 有 坏处。
They are used in different situations
反而 is used in the context of the speaker expecting some kind of turning point. 相反 is for similar things that have a different aspect. “反而”表达的期望与事实的差距程度比“相反”要深一倍。
Structure
expect，相反，expect didn't happen
expect，反而 + fact is far away from expect
Examples
- 好 好 工作 就 会 升职，相反，不 好 好 工作 是 不 会 升职 的。
- 老板 没有 生气，反而 让 我 提 了 更 多 的 建议。
相反 can act as an attribute
相反 is an adjective, and of course it can also be an attribute. Just make sure to add a 的 after it. 相反 cannot be used this way.
Structure
相反 + 的 + Noun.
Examples
- 这 是 两 个 完全 相反 的 结果。
- 你 应该 朝 相反的 方向 走。
相反 can be the predicate
相反, like all other adjectives, can be placed after the subject as the predicate of the sentence. Sometimes you can also say 正好相反.
Structure
Subject + 相反
Examples
- 这 两 种 艺术 的 表现 形式 相反。
- 我们 的 看法 是 相反 的。
相反 can also be a short phrase
Structure
A 跟/和 B 相反
Examples
- 老板 的 想法 跟 我 的 相反。
- 现在 的 观念 和 以前 的 相反。
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- 对外汉语教学语法释疑201例 (相反 vs 反而 p.184) →buy
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (反而p.199 相反p.574) →buy
- 现代汉语虚词例释 (反而p.172 相反p.504)
Dictionaries
- 现代汉语词典（第5版） (相反p.1484 反而p.377) →buy
