HSK 4 · VERSION 2.0#65
Expressing Contrariness with “dào”
倒
How it works
倒 (dào) is used when the actual situation is different from expectation, or when the speaker wants to point out a contrast in a softer way.
It can often mean:
actually
instead
on the contrary
Example sentences
这个地方不大，环境倒很好。
This place is not big, but the environment is actually very good.
我不着急，你倒先着急了。
I am not worried, but you got worried first instead.
他没生气，倒笑了起来。
He did not get angry. Instead, he started laughing.
Key point
倒 (dào) often sounds natural in spoken Chinese when showing unexpected contrast.