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却是 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
却是quèshìneverthelessHSK 6, unknown, 16 strokes, Hard
却是quèshìactuallyHSK 6, unknown, 16 strokes, Hard
却是quèshìthe fact is ...HSK 6, unknown, 16 strokes, Hard
quèshì(que4shi4) T4
  1. 1nevertheless
  2. 2actually
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

却是(卻是)quèshì(que4shi4)

却是 is used to express a contrast or contradiction, often translated as 'nevertheless' or 'actually'. It emphasizes a surprising or unexpected fact, indicating that something is true despite previous assumptions or expectations.

Strokes16DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese conversations, using 却是 can reflect the cultural tendency to be indirect or to avoid outright disagreement, allowing for a softer approach to expressing contrasting views.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person who is trying to convince others that a certain food is bad. They take a bite and say, '却是 delicious!' The character 却 (que) looks like a person stepping back, while 是 (shi) means 'is'—together they convey the idea of stepping back to reconsider what is actually true.

Meanings of 却是

quèshì(que4shi4)
1nevertheless
2actually
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 却是

却是Simplified
卻是Traditional
16Strokes
—Radical
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 却是

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Podcast: 却是

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AI Study Notes for 却是

Quick Contrast

但是 (dànshì) vs 然而 (rán'ér) — use 却是 to emphasize an unexpected truth, while 但是 introduces a contrast without this nuance.

Usage Notes

Be mindful of the context in which you use 却是, as it can imply a contradiction to a previously stated opinion. It is generally used in a more informal context, but can also appear in written forms. A common collocation is '却是这样' (it is actually this way).

HSK Study Tips

Though 却是 is not an HSK vocabulary word, its components can help learners understand similar expressions. Students should focus on recognizing contrasting phrases at HSK 4 and above, as this will help in constructing arguments or discussions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 却是 with just 是, using it in contexts where no contrast exists, such as saying '这却是好' instead of '这很好' (this is good). Remember, 却是 requires a contrasting context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 却是

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Component Characters

却quèbut
HSK 47 strokes卩
View full entry
是shìis
HSK 19 strokes日
View full entry

How to say nevertheless in Chinese

“nevertheless” in Chinese is却是quèshì

却是 is used to express a contrast or contradiction, often translated as 'nevertheless' or 'actually'. It emphasizes a surprising or unexpected fact, indicating that something is true despite previous assumptions or expectations.

When to use 却是

Be mindful of the context in which you use 却是, as it can imply a contradiction to a previously stated opinion. It is generally used in a more informal context, but can also appear in written forms. A common collocation is '却是这样' (it is actually this way).

却是 or something close to it

但是 (dànshì) vs 然而 (rán'ér) — use 却是 to emphasize an unexpected truth, while 但是 introduces a contrast without this nuance.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 却是 with just 是, using it in contexts where no contrast exists, such as saying '这却是好' instead of '这很好' (this is good). Remember, 却是 requires a contrasting context.

Write 却是

却
是

Practice writing 却是 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 却是

Yes, you can use 却是 at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a contrasting point.

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