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AdverbsHSK 6

Comparing 居然 and 反而

居然 (jūrán) expresses surprise at an unexpected outcome, while 反而 (fǎn'ér) indicates a result that is contrary to what was expected. Common pitfall: using 居然 for a logical opposite rather than a surprising event, which requires 反而.

Examples

  • 他居然忘记了我的生日。
    Tā jūrán wàngjì le wǒ de shēngrì.
    He actually forgot my birthday.
  • 她居然会说六种语言。
    Tā jūrán huì shuō liù zhǒng yǔyán.
    She unexpectedly can speak six languages.
  • 我帮他，他反而生我的气。
    Wǒ bāng tā, tā fǎn'ér shēng wǒ de qì.
    I helped him, but he got angry with me instead.
  • 雨不但没停，反而下得更大了。
    Yǔ bùdàn méi tíng, fǎn'ér xià de gèng dà le.
    The rain not only didn't stop, but instead got heavier.
  • 他失败了很多次，反而更加努力了。
    Tā shībài le hěn duō cì, fǎn'ér gèngjiā nǔlì le.
    He failed many times, but instead he worked even harder.

Words that use this