我叫了他很多次，他却不理我 (wǒ jiào le tā hěn duō cì, tā què bù lǐ wǒ) — "I called him many times, but he ignored me." The word 却 (què) sits inside the second clause, right after the subject 他 (tā), to signal that what happened was the opposite of what you'd expect. You called repeatedly; you'd expect a response. Instead, nothing.
却 expresses surprise or frustration when something turns out differently from what you expected — like when a friend promises to help but doesn't show up, or a plan falls through. The key difference from 但是 (dànshì) is placement: 却 lives after the subject in the second clause, not between clauses. So you say 他却不理我, not 却他不理我. This positions the contrast as something that happened despite expectations, not a simple joining of two ideas.
This HSK 4 speaking lesson, "Unexpected Twists," is a live voice conversation with AI teacher Mei Lin. You talk out loud in real time — no typing. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation as you go and adapts to your level. Over roughly 10 minutes, you'll use 却 in context: describing situations where someone's behavior surprised you or plans didn't work out as expected. The first lesson is free to start.
Ready for more patterns? Browse the HSK 4 lessons hub page for the full series. You can also try another HSK 4 live lesson titled "Unexpected Results" to practice 反而 (fǎn'ér), or another HSK 4 live lesson titled "Warnings and Consequences" for 否则 / 要不然 (fǒuzé / yàobùrán). To reinforce your writing, use the free printable Chinese worksheet generator for handwriting practice with HSK 1–3 words.
却 (què) goes after the subject in the second clause. In the example 我叫了他很多次，他却不理我 (wǒ jiào le tā hěn duō cì, tā què bù lǐ wǒ), 却 follows 他 (tā) to show that his ignoring you was the opposite of what you'd expect after calling many times. It does not sit between clauses like 但是 (dànshì).
The "Unexpected Twists" lesson trains you to express surprise or frustration when something turns out differently than expected — for example, when a friend breaks a promise or a plan falls through. You'll practice using 却 (què) in real spoken contexts with AI teacher Mei Lin, who corrects your grammar and pronunciation as you talk.
Each live conversation lesson targets one specific grammar pattern and takes roughly 10 minutes. This one focuses on 却 (què), an HSK 4 grammar point. You talk out loud with Mei Lin in real time, and she adapts to your level throughout the conversation.
You can use the free Chinese Worksheet Generator to print handwriting worksheets. Ready-made packs cover HSK 1–3 words, so while there may not be a pack specifically for this lesson, you can still build handwriting habits for foundational characters as you work through HSK 4 speaking lessons.