English–Chinese
“instead” in Chinese
How to say “instead” in Chinese
“Instead” in Chinese is 反而 (fǎn ér).
An earlier expectation is overturned by what actually happens.
Example sentences with 反而
大家都来了，他反而没来。dà jiā dōu lái le tā fǎn ér méi lái
Everyone came, but he was the only one who did not come.
Tips for using 反而
- The first clause may state a belief, plan, or normal cause rather than a direct prediction, so this word also works when the expectation is understood from context.
Other Chinese words for “instead”
下雨了，反倒更凉快。xià yǔ le fǎn dào gèng liáng kuài
It rained, but it got cooler instead.