Definition
偏偏 (piān piān) is an adverb expressing that something happens contrary to one's wishes or expectations, often with annoyance or defiance. It is stronger and more emotional than 偏 (piān), which can be more neutral; unlike 可惜 (kě xī), which simply expresses regret, 偏偏 implies deliberate opposition or bad luck. It can also single out someone/something as the unwanted exception, like 'of all people'.
adverb
unfortunatelyas it happens (contrary to one's wishes)stubbornlydeliberately (defying reason or advice)preciselyonly (singling out someone/something in an unwanted way)
Examples
- ,偏偏。Wǒ hǎobù róngyì qǐng le jià, piān piān gōngsī shuō yào jiābān.I finally managed to take time off, but the company just had to ask me to work overtime.
- ,偏偏。Dàjiā dōu shuō nà tiáo lù wēixiǎn, tā piān piān yào zǒu.Everyone said that road was dangerous, but he insisted on taking it.
- ,偏偏。Nàme duō rén dōu tōngguò le, piān piān wǒ méi guò.So many people passed, yet I'm the one who failed.
Grammar
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