HSK 4 grammar · new HSK syllabus
却: but, yet
却 marks an unexpected contrast and goes after the subject: 他很累，却不想休息.
Structure
- Subject + 却 + verb / adjective
How it works
却 means “but, yet”. Unlike 但是, it goes after the subject, before the verb: 我等了他很久，他却没来.
It is often used with 虽然 or 尽管 in the first half.
Examples
-
我给他打了好几次电话，他却一直没接。
Wǒ gěi tā dǎ le hǎo jǐ cì diànhuà, tā què yìzhí méi jiē.
I called him several times, but he never answered.
-
天气很冷，他却只穿了一件衬衫。
Tiānqì hěn lěng, tā què zhī chuān le yí jiàn chènshān.
It was cold, yet he wore only a shirt.
-
大家都去了，他却没去。
Dàjiā dōu qù le, tā què méi qù.
Everyone went, but he didn’t.
-
这个问题看起来简单，回答起来却很难。
Zhège wèntí kàn qǐlái jiǎndān, huídá qǐlái què hěn nán.
The question looks easy but is hard to answer.
-
虽然他学了很久，却说得不太好。
Suīrán tā xué le hěn jiǔ, què shuō de bú tài hǎo.
Although he studied for a long time, he doesn’t speak very well.
Words in these examples (37)
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 给 | gěi | to give; for; to | HSK 1 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 打 | dǎ | to hit; to play (ball games); to make (a call) | HSK 2 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 好 | hǎo | good; well | HSK 1 |
| 几 | jǐ | how many (usually under ten); a few | HSK 1 |
| 次 | cì | time (occurrence), as in 三次 "three times" | HSK 2 |
| 电话 | diànhuà | telephone; phone call | HSK 1 |
| 却 | què | but; however | HSK 4 |
| 一直 | yìzhí | all along; always; straight on | HSK 3 |
| 接 | jiē | to pick up (someone); to receive; to answer (the phone) | HSK 3 |
| 天气 | tiānqì | weather | HSK 1 |
| 很 | hěn | very | HSK 1 |
| 冷 | lěng | cold | HSK 1 |
| 只 | zhī | (measure word for animals, and one of a pair) | HSK 1 |
| 穿 | chuān | to wear; to put on (clothes) | HSK 1 |
| 一 | yī | one | HSK 1 |
| 件 | jiàn | (measure word for clothes, matters, items) | HSK 1 |
| 衬衫 | chènshān | shirt | HSK 3 |
| 大家 | dàjiā | everyone | HSK 1 |
| 都 | dōu | all; both | HSK 1 |
| 去 | qù | to go | HSK 1 |
| 这个 | zhège | this one | HSK 1 |
| 问题 | wèntí | question; problem | HSK 1 |
| 看 | kàn | to look; to watch; to read | HSK 1 |
| 起来 | qǐlái | to get up; to stand up | HSK 2 |
| 简单 | jiǎndān | simple | HSK 3 |
| 回答 | huídá | to answer; answer | HSK 3 |
| 难 | nán | difficult | HSK 3 |
| 虽然 | suīrán | although | HSK 2 |
| 学 | xué | to learn; to study | HSK 1 |
| 久 | jiǔ | long (time) | HSK 3 |
| 说 | shuō | to say; to speak | HSK 1 |
| 得 | de | (particle after a verb before a description of how it is done, as in 说得很好) | HSK 2 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 太 | tài | too; extremely | HSK 1 |
Common mistakes
-
✗却他没来。
✓他却没来。
却 goes after the subject.
-
✗但是他却没来。
✓他却没来。/ 但是他没来。
Usually use one of them, not both.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 我很想去，时间 不够。
2. 春天到了，天气 还很冷。
3. 他 却说他不知道。