反而

On the Contrary

Level 4Sounds Like faan2 ji4

Use 反而 (faan2 ji4) to highlight a counter-intuitive outcome. It translates to 'on the contrary' or 'instead' when a situation develops in a way that goes against the logical expectation.

How It Works

反而 (faan2 ji4) is an adverb used to describe situations where the outcome or state of affairs is a direct reversal of what was logically expected.

1. Sentence Structure:
It typically follows the pattern: [Situation A], [Subject] + 反而 + [Counter-result] OR [Situation A], 反而 + [Subject] + [Counter-result]. While the first clause often establishes a clear expectation that the second clause subverts, 反而 can also start a sentence based on conversational context. It can be placed either before or after the subject.
Example: 佢食咗藥 (He took medicine), 反而個病嚴重咗 (but the illness got worse instead).

2. Conversational Starter:
In conversation, 反而 is frequently used at the beginning of a sentence to express a contrasting opinion, translating closer to 'Actually...' or 'On the other hand...'. For example: 反而我覺得... (Actually, I think...).

3. Nuance vs. 但係 (daan6 hai6):
While 但係 shows general contrast or a simple difference, 反而 specifically signals a counter-result or logical reversal. It indicates that the outcome is the opposite of what the preceding situation should have produced.

4. Common Pairings and Synonyms:
In colloquial Cantonese, it is often paired with 唔單止 (m4 daan1 zi2) or the more formal 不但 (bat1 daan6) to say 'not only... but on the contrary...'. For example: 佢唔單止冇多謝我，反而仲鬧我添 (Not only did he not thank me, he scolded me instead). You may also occasionally hear the synonym 反為 (faan2 wai4), which is an acceptable colloquial synonym.

5. Emphasis:
In spoken Cantonese, 反而 is very frequently followed by 仲 (zung6) or 更 (gang3) to mean 'instead... even more'. It is also frequently paired with the particle 添 (tim1) at the end of the sentence to add a sense of 'even more' or to further highlight the unexpected nature of the result.

Examples (4)

  1. 佢食咗藥，個病反而嚴重咗。

    He took medicine, but his illness got even worse instead.

    Word by Word: He eat [aspect] medicine, [classifier] illness instead serious [aspect].

    Taking medicine should make one better; the use of 反而 (faan2 ji4) highlights the logical reversal where the condition worsened.

  2. 你唔單止唔幫手，反而喺度添亂！

    Not only are you not helping, you're actually making things worse!

    Word by Word: You not only not help, instead at here add mess!

    This uses the 'not only not... but instead' structure to criticize someone's counter-productive behavior.

  3. 我以為佢會嬲，點知佢反而好開心。

    I thought he would be angry, but to my surprise, he was actually very happy.

    Word by Word: I thought he would angry, how know he instead very happy.

    反而 (faan2 ji4) follows the subject 佢 (keoi5) to show the reaction was the opposite of the speaker's expectation.

  4. 出面落大雨，佢反而想去行山。

    It's raining hard outside, but he actually wants to go hiking instead.

    Word by Word: Outside fall big rain, he instead want go walk mountain.

    Rain usually stops people from hiking, so 反而 (faan2 ji4) marks his desire as counter-intuitive.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 反而 (faan2 ji4) for simple contrast without a flipped expectation.

    我鍾意飲茶，反而佢鍾意飲咖啡。
    我鍾意飲茶，但係佢鍾意飲咖啡。

    Unless his liking coffee is a shocking or ironic result of you liking tea, use 但係 (daan6 hai6) for simple differences. 反而 requires a subverted expectation or a direct counter-result.

  • Using 反而 (faan2 ji4) like the English preposition 'instead of'.

    反而轉左，我轉右。
    我冇轉左，反而轉咗右。

    In English, 'instead of' can act as a preposition (e.g., 'Instead of turning left, I turned right'). However, 反而 (faan2 ji4) is an adverb and cannot be used this way. You must explicitly negate the first action as a full clause (e.g., 'I didn't turn left, instead I turned right').

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

反而Level 4On the Contrary

Learn This First

To understand 反而 (on the contrary), you first need to be comfortable with basic contrastive conjunctions like 'but' (但係). You should also understand how to express thoughts and feelings (覺得) and be familiar with standard Cantonese word order, as 反而 functions as an adverbial marker that sits between the subject and the predicate to signal a reversal of expected outcomes.

Words in This Pattern

反而