倒 (dào) can be used to express something is contrary to
expectations, acting as a turning point in the sentence. It is
generally followed by a positive comment.
倒 Used to
Express an Unexpected Situation
Note that 倒 is often followed by 也 or 又 to add further
emphasis.
Structure
Examples
- 他 不 是 很 努力 的学生，但 成绩 倒 也 不错。He's
not a vey hard-working student, but his score isn't too
bad.
- 已经 是 春天 了，倒 又 冷 起来 了。It's already
spring, but it's getting cold.
- 不 吃 药，病 倒 慢慢 好 了。I didn't take any
medicine, but I'm getting better.
- 他 是 个 老外，普通话 倒 挺 流利。He is a
foreigner, but he speaks fluent Chinese.
Using 倒 to make a
concession
Structure
倒 can also be used to express a concession, so it's often
followed by 就是、但是、可是、不过.
Subj. 倒 + positive side，不过 / 但是 / 就是＋undesirable things
Examples
- 这 篇 文章 的 内容 倒 不错，就是 太 长 了。The content of this article is great, but it's a little too
long.
- 这 件 衣服 的 样式 和 大小 倒 都 合适，可是 我 不 喜欢 这 个
颜色。The style and size if this piece of clothes
fit me well, but I don't like its color.
- 你们 提供 的 服务 倒 不错，但是 对 我 来说 太 贵 了。The service you provide is great, but it's too expensive to
me.
- 我 倒 想 陪 你 一起 去，不过 要 等 到 周末。I want to come with you, but you need to wait until this
weekend.
For more on 倒, be sure to check our C1 (advanced) grammar point
on expressing contrariness with 倒.
See also
Sources and further
reading
Books
Category:
B2 grammar points