HSK 4 · VERSION 2.0#66

The “However” Adverb “què”

却

què

How it works

却 (què) means “however,” “yet,” or “but.” It often introduces a result that is different from expectation.

Compared with 但是 (dànshì), 却 (què) is shorter and often appears inside a sentence rather than at the beginning of a new clause.

他看起来很年轻，实际上却很有经验。

Tā kàn qǐlái hěn niánqīng, shíjì shàng què hěn yǒu jīngyàn.

He looks very young, but in fact he is very experienced.

我想帮他，他却拒绝了。

Wǒ xiǎng bāng tā, tā què jùjué le.

I wanted to help him, but he refused.

这件事很小，影响却很大。

Zhè jiàn shì hěn xiǎo, yǐngxiǎng què hěn dà.

This matter is small, yet its impact is big.

却 (què) often highlights a contrast between expectation and reality.