Meaning
but; yet; however; while; to go back; to decline
Chinese: 表示转折，也有退回、推辞的意思。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “que” becomes a different word in each tone. 却 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 冷却lěng què(lit. and fig.) to cool
- 却是què shìnevertheless; actually; the fact is ...
- 退却tuì quèto retreat; to shrink back
- 了却liǎo quèto resolve; to settle
- 却才què cáijust now
More Words
Example Sentence
他想说什么，却又停住了。Tā xiǎng shuō shén me, què yòu tíng zhù le.He wanted to say something, but then stopped.
他Tāhe想xiǎngto think (about)说shuōto speak什么shén mewhat，却quèbut又yòuagain停住tíng zhùto stop了le(completed action)。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
It means ‘to step back, retreat; to drive back; to decline, refuse; but, yet, however’ (却 marks a turn) (退却, 冷却, 却是).
A way to remember it
To step back; and the contrastive ‘but, yet’: 我去了，他却没来.