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却 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
却
què
but
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
yet
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
however
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
while
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
to go back
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
to decline
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
to retreat
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
nevertheless
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
even though
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
still, but; decline; retreat
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
old variant of 卻
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
却
què
old variant of 卻|却[que4]
HSK 4, d, 7 strokes, radical 卩, rank #275, Medium
què(que4)que T4
1but
2yet
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
却(㕁)què(que4)
却 (què) is a conjunction used to express contrast or opposition, similar to 'but' or 'however' in English. It indicates a shift in thought or introduces an unexpected outcome, often used in spoken and written contexts to clarify a point or transition between ideas.
Strokes7Radical卩Frequency#275DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the concept of contrast is often highlighted in discussions, reflecting a balance of perspectives. The word 却 can illustrate the importance of weighing different sides of an argument in conversations, particularly in formal settings.
Memory tip
Imagine a person taking a step back (the character 却 has a radical associated with movement) when faced with a decision. This person hesitates before moving forward, embodying the idea of contrasting thoughts or actions. The pronunciation 'què' sounds like 'quit', which can remind you of someone who hesitates to continue.
Meanings of 却
què(que4)
1but
2yet
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 却 means.
About 却
却Simplified
㕁Traditional
7Strokes
卩Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#275Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 却
Podcast: 却
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AI study notes for 却
Quick Contrast
但是 (dànshì) vs 却 (què): use 却 when emphasizing an unexpected contrast, while 但是 is more neutral.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include using 却 in place of 'and' or 'also', as it specifically implies contrast. It is mostly used in informal contexts, but can also appear in formal writing. Be cautious with intonation; saying it too softly can alter the meaning.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 4 word, 却 connects well with other conjunctions and transitional phrases. Focus on its usage with other contrastive words like 但是 (dànshì) and 然而 (rán'ér) to enhance your fluency in expressing nuanced opinions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 却 with 但是, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我想去，但却下雨了' is incorrect; use '但是' instead. Correct usage would be '我想去，却下雨了', emphasizing the unexpected nature of the rain.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 却
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却 = 卩 + 去. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 却
IDS Structure⿰去卩
却Full character
=
去qu4
left
卩jie2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 却?
How to say but in Chinese
“but” in Chinese is却què
却 (què) is a conjunction used to express contrast or opposition, similar to 'but' or 'however' in English. It indicates a shift in thought or introduces an unexpected outcome, often used in spoken and written contexts to clarify a point or transition between ideas.
When to use 却
Common mistakes include using 却 in place of 'and' or 'also', as it specifically implies contrast. It is mostly used in informal contexts, but can also appear in formal writing. Be cautious with intonation; saying it too softly can alter the meaning.
却 or something close to it
但是 (dànshì) vs 却 (què): use 却 when emphasizing an unexpected contrast, while 但是 is more neutral.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 却 with 但是, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我想去，但却下雨了' is incorrect; use '但是' instead. Correct usage would be '我想去，却下雨了', emphasizing the unexpected nature of the rain.
Write 却
却
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Practice writing 却 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 却
却 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 12 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
You'll take everything you're offered yet your own generosity is virtually non-existent.
11
最糟糕的事情是，你给朋友打电话，而他们却出去了。
zuì zāogāo de shìqing shì， nǐ gěi péngyou dǎdiànhuà， ér tāmen què chūqù le。
The worst thing is when you call friends and they've gone out.
12
奇怪的是，那些不相配的伴侣实际上却彼此需要。
qíguài de shì， nàxiē bù Xiāng pèi de bànlǚ shíjìshàng què bǐcǐ xūyào。
In some perverse way the ill-matched partners do actually need each other.
13
遗憾的是，这个快乐的故事结局却比较伤感。
yíhàn de shì， zhège kuàilè de gùshi jiéjú què bǐjiào shānggǎn。
Unfortunately, this happy story finishes on a more sombre note.
14
我们的整个节目都是关注心灵的，但却不是宗教性的。
wǒmen de zhěnggè jiémù dōushì guānzhù xīnlíng de， dàn què bùshì zōngjiào xìng de。
Our whole programme is spiritually oriented but not religious.
15
这可能是人所共知的事实，但我却不知道。
zhè kěnéng shì rén suǒ gòng zhī de shìshí， dàn wǒ què bùzhī dào。
It may be a well-known fact, but I didn't know it.
16
作为一名影星，英格丽已经远远地超越了她们，但这却无关紧要。
zuòwéi yī míng yǐngxīng， Yīng gé lí yǐjīng yuǎnyuǎn dì chāoyuè le tāmen， dàn zhè què wúguānjǐnyào。
It didn't matter that Ingrid had outdistanced them as a movie star.
17
他被诊断患有严重的阅读困难症，但是却绝顶聪明。
tā bèi zhěnduàn huànyǒu yánzhòng de yuèdú kùnnan zhēng， dànshì què jué dǐng cōngmíng。
He was diagnosed as severely dyslexic but extraordinarily bright.
18
我们服的药相对来说药性温和，但是我们却在把它们变成毒药。
wǒmen fú de yào xiāngduì lái shuō yào xìng wēnhé， dànshì wǒmen què zài bǎ tāmen biànchéng dú yào。
We're taking relatively benign medicines and we're turning them into poisons.
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Cultural Notes for 却
💡Did you know?
In traditional Chinese philosophy, contrasts are often used to illustrate deeper truths, much like how '却' functions in language. This reflects the duality present in nature, such as yin and yang.
Word Family of 却
Compounds2
脚jiǎofoot
踋jiǎo
Words containing this character15
却quèbut卻
冷却lěngquèto cool off冷卻
忘却wàngquèto forget忘卻
退却tuìquèto retreat退卻
了却liǎoquèto resolve了卻
望而却步wàng’érquèbùto shrink back望而卻步
冷却剂lěngquèjìcoolant冷卻劑
冷却塔lěngquètǎcooling tower冷卻塔
省却shěngquèto save省卻
抛却pāoquèto discard拋卻
却步quèbùto step back卻步
推却tuīquèto repel推卻
却之不恭quèzhībùgōngto refuse would be impolite卻之不恭
却病quèbìngto prevent or treat a disease卻病
情不可却qíngbùkěquèunable to refuse because of affection情不可卻
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 却
What does 脚 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 却
Yes, while both 却 (què) and 但是 (dànshì) can be used to indicate contrast, 却 often implies a more unexpected twist compared to 但是. For instance, you might say '我想去，然而却没时间' ('I want to go, yet I don't have time') which emphasizes the contrast more strongly than simply using 但是.
却 (què) is a Chinese character that means 'yet,' 'however,' or 'to decline.' It is often used to indicate a contrast or an unexpected outcome in a sentence. For example, '我想去，然而却下雨了' translates to 'I wanted to go, however, it rained.'
却 (què) is typically used to express contrast in statements. For example, you can use it to show that something is different from what was expected, like in '他很聪明，却不努力' which means 'He is very smart, yet he does not work hard.' This usage helps to create a nuanced meaning in your sentences.
Yes, 却 can be used to start a sentence for emphasis, especially when contrasting ideas.
却 can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but be mindful of the tone and setting.
While both express contrast, 却 often suggests a more subtle or unexpected opposition compared to 但是.
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