HSK 5 grammar · new HSK syllabus
不但不…反而…: not only not… but on the contrary
Something turns out the opposite of what you’d expect: 他不但不生气，反而笑了.
Structure
- 不但不 / 没 + A，反而 + B
How it works
反而 introduces a result opposite to what was expected: 吃了药，病反而更重了.
不但不 / 不但没 + A，反而 + B makes the contrast stronger.
Examples
-
他不但不生气，反而笑了起来。
Far from being angry, he started laughing.
-
雨不但没停，反而越下越大。
Instead of stopping, the rain got heavier.
-
吃了药以后，他的病反而更严重了。
After taking the medicine, he actually got worse.
-
我帮了他，他不但不感谢，反而怪我。
I helped him, and instead of thanking me he blamed me.
-
休息太多反而会让人更累。
Resting too much can actually make you more tired.
Words in these examples (31)
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 不但 | búdàn | not only | HSK 3 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 生气 | shēngqì | to get angry | HSK 3 |
| 反而 | fǎn’ér | on the contrary; instead | HSK 5 |
| 笑 | xiào | to laugh; to smile | HSK 2 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 起来 | qǐlái | to get up; to stand up | HSK 2 |
| 雨 | yǔ | rain | HSK 1 |
| 停 | tíng | to stop; to park | HSK 4 |
| 越 | yuè | (越…越…) the more… the more… | HSK 3 |
| 下 | xià | down; below; to go down; to get off; next | HSK 1 |
| 大 | dà | big; large; old (age) | HSK 1 |
| 吃 | chī | to eat | HSK 1 |
| 药 | yào | medicine | HSK 2 |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after; later | HSK 3 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 病 | bìng | illness; to be ill | HSK 1 |
| 更 | gèng | even more; more | HSK 3 |
| 严重 | yánzhòng | serious; severe | HSK 4 |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 帮 | bāng | to help | HSK 2 |
| 感谢 | gǎnxiè | to thank | HSK 4 |
| 怪 | guài | odd; strange; uncanny; monster; supernatural being; to find strange; to regard as odd | HSK 5 |
| 休息 | xiūxi | to rest; rest | HSK 1 |
| 太 | tài | too; extremely | HSK 1 |
| 多 | duō | many; much; (in questions) how | HSK 1 |
| 会 | huì | can; to know how to | HSK 1 |
| 让 | ràng | to let; to ask (someone to do something) | HSK 2 |
| 人 | rén | person; people | HSK 1 |
| 累 | lèi | tired | HSK 2 |
Common mistakes
-
✗他不但不生气，而且笑了。
✓他不但不生气，反而笑了。
An unexpected opposite takes 反而.
-
✗反而他笑了。
✓他反而笑了。
反而 goes after the subject.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 天气不但没变暖， 更冷了。
2. 他不但 帮忙，反而添了麻烦。
3. 着急 会让事情变得更糟。