# 反而 (fǎn’ér) vs 却 (què): "On the Contrary" vs "However" in Chinese

Source: https://sentencecoach.com/grammar/faner-vs-que
Level: HSK 4–5

Both are adverbs that normally go AFTER the subject; 却 can never go before it. 却 is a general "however / yet" that contrasts any two clauses: 他很忙，却每天抽时间运动. 反而 is narrower and stronger: it means the outcome went in the exact opposite direction of what you would expect ("instead of getting better, it got worse"): 吃了药，病不但没好，反而更重了.

Patterns:
- Clause 1，Subject + 却 + Verb: General contrast; 却 always sits after the subject.
- 不但不/没 + Expected，(Subject) + 反而 + Opposite: Reversed outcome ("on the contrary / instead").

Examples:
- 他知道这件事，却什么也没说。 (tā zhī dao zhè jiàn shì, què shén me yě méi shuō.) — He knew about this, yet said nothing.
- 刮风以后，天气不但没凉快，反而更热了。 (guā fēng yǐ hòu, tiān qì bú dàn méi liáng kuai, fǎn ér gèng rè le.) — After the wind picked up, instead of cooling down, the weather got even hotter.
- 我本来想帮他，没想到反而给他添了麻烦。 (wǒ běn lái xiǎng bāng tā, méi xiǎng dào fǎn ér gěi tā tiān le má fan.) — I originally wanted to help him, but unexpectedly caused him trouble instead.

Common mistakes:
- ✗ 虽然很贵，却很多人买。 → ✓ 虽然很贵，却有很多人买。 / 虽然很贵，很多人却愿意买。: 却 is an adverb, not a conjunction like 但是; it must go after the subject, right before the verb.
- ✗ 今天下雨了，我反而带了伞。 → ✓ 今天没下雨，我却带了伞。: 反而 requires an outcome that reverses a normal cause-and-effect expectation.

FAQ:
- Q: Can 但是 and 却 be used together in the same clause?
  A: Yes! Because 但是 is a conjunction (before the subject) and 却 is an adverb (after the subject), 但是他却没来 is very natural and idiomatic.