倒是

dàoshì
adverb HSK 5 #5,040

Meanings

  1. 1 actually
  2. 2 on the contrary
  3. 3 contrary to expectation

Examples

HSK 2
Zhège xiǎngfǎ dàoshì búcuò.
This idea is actually not bad.
HSK 3
Tiānqì yùbào shuō huì xiàyǔ, dàoshì chū le tàiyáng.
The forecast said it would rain, but actually the sun came out.
HSK 6
Tā dàoshì hěn cōngming, jiùshì tài lǎn le.
He's actually quite smart - he's just too lazy.

Tips

usage
倒是 often introduces a contrast or concession. It can mean 'actually' (contrary to what you'd expect) or soften a statement: 倒是可以 = 'well, that could work.'
grammar
倒是 is placed before the adjective/verb it modifies. It often pairs with 就是 (jiùshì, it's just that...) in A倒是B,就是C patterns.

Stroke Order

dǎo
shì