倒 (dào) — on the contrary; but actually; unexpectedly

倒 (dào)

倒 (in the neutral or falling tone, dào, distinct from 倒 dǎo "to fall/pour") is a concessive or contrastive adverb. It signals that what actually happens is the reverse of, or contrary to, what was expected. It can carry a tone of mild surprise, irony, or gentle pushback.

Meanings

1. [adverb] On the contrary; but actually; unexpectedly — contrasts reality with expectation, often with a slight air of irony or surprise.
2. [adverb] Used in concessions: "it is fine/okay actually" — softening a statement by acknowledging a positive side.

Example Sentences

这道题看起来难，做起来倒挺简单。 Zhè dào tí kàn qǐlái nán, zuò qǐlái dào tǐng jiǎndān. This question looks hard, but it's actually quite simple to do.

他平时很安静，今天倒说了很多话。 Tā píngshí hěn ānjìng, jīntiān dào shuō le hěn duō huà. He is usually very quiet, but today he unexpectedly said a lot.

你倒说得轻松，事情没那么简单。 Nǐ dào shuō de qīngsōng, shìqíng méi nàme jiǎndān. You make it sound easy, but things are not that simple.

这里的天气冷倒冷，风景却很美。 Zhèlǐ de tiānqì lěng dào lěng, fēngjǐng què hěn měi. The weather here is cold, admittedly, but the scenery is beautiful.

Collocations

Memory Hook

Picture someone walking forward but suddenly reversing direction — that is the core image of 倒: a reversal of what you expected to happen.