反之 (fǎnzhī) — conversely; on the contrary

反之 (fǎnzhī)

反之 is a formal connective used to introduce a contrasting or opposite situation, equivalent to "conversely," "on the contrary," or "otherwise" in English.

Meanings

1. [conjunction] conversely; on the contrary; otherwise (introduces the opposite case)

Example Sentences

如果你努力学习，就会取得好成绩；反之，则会落后。 Rúguǒ nǐ nǔlì xuéxí, jiù huì qǔdé hǎo chéngjì; fǎnzhī, zé huì luòhòu. If you study hard, you will get good grades; conversely, you will fall behind.

团结使人强大，反之则使人软弱。 Tuánjié shǐ rén qiángdà, fǎnzhī zé shǐ rén ruǎnruò. Unity makes people strong; conversely, it makes them weak.

良好的沟通能够化解矛盾，反之只会加深误解。 Liánghǎo de gōutōng nénggòu huàjiě máodùn, fǎnzhī zhǐ huì jiāshēn wùjiě. Good communication can resolve conflicts; conversely, it only deepens misunderstandings.

诚实能建立信任，反之则会破坏关系。 Chéngshí néng jiànlì xìnrèn, fǎnzhī zé huì pòhuài guānxi. Honesty can build trust; conversely, it will damage relationships.

适当的压力可以激励人，反之压力过大则会造成伤害。 Shìdàng de yālì kěyǐ jīlì rén, fǎnzhī yālì guò dà zé huì zàochéng shānghài. Appropriate pressure can motivate people; conversely, too much pressure will cause harm.

开放的政策促进了发展，反之封闭的政策则阻碍了进步。 Kāifàng de zhèngcè cùjìn le fāzhǎn, fǎnzhī fēngbì de zhèngcè zé zǔ'ài le jìnbù. Open policies promote development; conversely, closed policies hinder progress.

Collocations

Usage Notes

反之 is a formal, written-register connective. It is often used in argumentative writing, academic texts, and formal speeches to introduce the opposite case after stating a proposition. The pattern "A; 反之, B" presents two contrasting outcomes.

反之亦然 is a very common set phrase meaning "and vice versa," used when a relationship works in both directions. In informal speech, people more often use 不然 (otherwise) or 否则 (otherwise), so 反之 signals a more formal register.

Memory Hook

反 means "reverse/opposite" and 之 is a classical particle meaning "it/this." 反之 literally means "reversing this" -- the opposite of what was just said.