How to use 却
Context，subject + 却 + contrasting predicate
却 marks a contrast within a clause, often showing that the outcome differs from what the preceding facts lead someone to expect. A person's position, intentions, or circumstances may suggest one result, while the sentence reports another. English may use but, yet, or nevertheless. The force can be disappointment, surprise, or simply an observation of an unexpected difference.
Unlike a conjunction that joins whole clauses, 却 normally sits after the subject and before the predicate. It can appear with other contrastive wording when appropriate. Negative results are common in teaching examples, but 却 is not restricted to unfavorable statements. The important relationship is the contrast between expectation and the stated reality.
Examples with pinyin and English
他是老板， 却没有人听他的。
He's the boss, but nobody listens to him.
他的学历很高，能力却很一般。
He's very well-educated, but his ability is average.
他们一见钟情， 却没有在一起。
They fell in love at first sight, but they didn't end up with each other.
这件衣服虽然是名牌， 但是质量却不怎么样。
Although this clothing is brand-name, the quality is not so good.
What to remember
- Place 却 after the subject.
- Use it to mark a contrast inside the clause.
- Do not restrict its meaning to negative outcomes.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.