Meaning of 却是
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- nevertheless
- actually
- the fact is ...
How to use 却是
却是 introduces a fact that contrasts with what came before or with what you expected. It often appears in writing and more formal speech, usually after the subject. Example: 他看起来很凶，却是个好人。(Tā kàn qǐlái hěn xiōng, què shì gè hǎo rén.) He looks fierce, but he is actually a good person.
却 (què) means "but, on the contrary" and 是 (shì) means "is," so 却是 reads as "but it is." Think of it as turning around to reveal what something really is.
Common mistake: Learners often put 却是 at the very start of a sentence like 但是, but 却 is an adverb and normally comes after the subject. Say 他却是… rather than 却是他….
却是 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
却 què · but · 7 strokes
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是 shì · to be · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 却是.
| 还是 | háishi | still (as before); had better |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 但是 | dànshì | but; however |
| 可是 | kěshì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed |
| 正是 | zhèngshì | is precisely |
| 老是 | lǎoshì | always |
| 就是 | jiùshì | exactly; precisely; only; simply; just |
| 只是 | zhǐshì | merely; only; just; nothing but; simply |
| 要是 | yàoshi | (coll.) if |
| 总是 | zǒngshì | always |
| 有的是 | yǒudeshì | have plenty of; there's no lack of |
| 是否 | shìfǒu | whether (or not); if |
Questions about 却是
What does 却是 mean?
却是 (què shì) means "nevertheless; actually".
How do you write 却是?
却是 is made of 2 characters: 却 (7 strokes), 是 (9 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 却是 an HSK word?
Yes. 却是 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 却是 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 却是 is written 卻是.
Can I use 但是 and 却是 together?
Yes. 但是 links the two clauses and 却 sits after the subject in the second clause, as in 价格很贵，但质量却是最好的。 This pairing is common and adds a stronger sense of contrast.
How is 却是 different from 正是?
正是 (zhèngshì) confirms something exactly, meaning "is precisely." 却是 points out a contrast or surprise, meaning "is actually, contrary to expectation."