RealHSK

HSK 5Lesson 10 of 11 · 5 grammar points

Inference, concession and reversal

因而 draws a consequence, 可见 an inference, 哪怕 a concessive extreme, and 不但不…反而 a reversal. Rhetorical 不是 frames a reminder rather than always negating the following fact. Context determines the intended argument.

Learning goals (5)
  • Consequence with 因而.
  • Inference with 可见.
  • Even a minimal or extreme condition.
  • An opposite result.
  • A reminder challenging expectations.

…，因而…

Consequence with 因而

因而 links a stated cause to a resulting conclusion or situation in formal prose.

他准备充分，因而很有信心。

Tā zhǔn bèi chōng fèn, yīn ér hěn yǒu xìn xīn.

He is well prepared and therefore confident.

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Pitfall: The causal relation must be supported, not merely chronological.

…，可见…

Inference with 可见

可见 introduces what can be inferred from the preceding evidence.

他每天都来，可见很重视这件事。

Tā měi tiān dōu lái, kě jiàn hěn zhòng shì zhè jiàn shì.

He comes every day, which shows he takes this seriously.

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Pitfall: An inference can be reasonable without being logically certain.

哪怕…，也…

Even a minimal or extreme condition

哪怕…也… maintains the result despite an extreme case or very small allowance.

哪怕只有十分钟，我也要练习。

Nǎ pà zhǐ yǒu shí fēn zhōng, wǒ yě yào liàn xí.

Even if I only have ten minutes, I will practice.

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Pitfall: The first clause establishes the concessive limit, not an ordinary cause.

不但不/不但没有…，反而…

An opposite result

不但不/没有…反而… says the expected outcome fails and its opposite occurs.

他不但没生气，反而笑了。

Tā bù dàn méi shēng qì, fǎn ér xiào le.

He not only wasn't angry; instead, he smiled.

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Pitfall: The second outcome must reverse the relevant expectation.

不是…，还/还是…

A reminder challenging expectations

不是…还/还是… can use rhetorical 不是 to remind someone of a fact and challenge the following action.

你不是说不去吗，怎么还是来了？

Nǐ bù shì shuō bù qù ma, zěn me hái shì lái le?

Didn't you say you weren't going? Why did you come after all?

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你不是说不去吗，怎么还是来了？ first reminds the listener of a previous statement, then challenges the actual outcome. Numbered or compressed syllabus labels do not supply the full discourse context; retain the source text rather than rewriting it as another familiar connector pair.

Pitfall: Do not conflate rhetorical 不是 with the corrective 不是…而是 construction.

Source details (official syllabus)

  • Consequence with 因而

    Syllabus item
    ……，因而……
    Category
    因果复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L5-062
    PDF page
    399 (printed 396)

  • Inference with 可见

    Syllabus item
    ……，可见……
    Category
    因果复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L5-063
    PDF page
    399 (printed 396)

  • Even a minimal or extreme condition

    Syllabus item
    哪怕……，也……
    Category
    让步复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L5-064
    PDF page
    399 (printed 396)

  • An opposite result

    Syllabus item
    不但不/不但没有……，反而……
    Category
    递进复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L5-065
    PDF page
    399 (printed 396)

  • A reminder challenging expectations

    Syllabus item
    不是……，还/还是……
    Category
    递进复句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L5-066
    PDF page
    399 (printed 396)