← Chinese (Mandarin) deck
adverb·hsk-4
反而
Indicates an outcome that contrasts with expectations; 'instead' or 'on the contrary'.
他不高兴，反而笑了。
tā bù gāoxìng, fǎn'ér xiào le。
He wasn't happy; instead he smiled.
我以为他会生气，反而很冷静。
wǒ yǐwéi tā huì shēngqì, fǎn'ér hěn lěngjìng。
I thought he'd be angry, but on the contrary he was calm.