HSK 7–9 grammar · conjunction
⋯⋯，⋯⋯倒/反倒⋯⋯
⋯⋯，⋯⋯倒/反倒⋯⋯ — yet in fact, on the contrary
Pattern
+ +
( ) can be left out · other words may come before, between and after
How it works
The second clause reports an outcome that runs against what the first sets you up to expect, with 倒 or 反倒 marking the reversal. 倒 alone is milder and can also soften a remark; 反倒 states the contradiction outright.
Examples
我以为他会生气，他倒笑了。
Wǒ yǐwéi tā huì shēngqì, tā dào xiào le.
I thought he'd be angry, but he laughed instead.
劝了半天，他反倒更坚决了。
Quàn le bàntiān, tā fǎndào gèng jiānjué le.
After all that persuading, he only became more determined.
Related
反倒 · 反倒 — on the contrary, instead反而 · 反而 — on the contrary / instead却 · 却 — yet / however (contrary)
See it in a story
In the app, ⋯⋯，⋯⋯倒/反倒⋯⋯ is underlined wherever it appears in the stories you read, and practised with sentences from them. Free.