HSK 7
偏偏
piān piān
偏偏 (piānpiān) - Indicates things going against one's wishes/expectations
Explanation
偏偏 (piānpiān) is a mood adverb, emphasizing that something happens completely contrary to common sense, wishes, or expectations, carrying a tone of surprise, annoyance, or helplessness ('of all things, precisely', 'and yet').
subject + 偏偏 (piānpiān) + verb/verb phrase; often paired with 又 (yòu – again), 怎么 (zěnme – how come) to heighten the contrary-to-expectation tone.
(1) when a choice goes against common sense (of all the beautiful women, choosing precisely her); (2) when something troublesome happens at the most inconvenient moment. Used frequently in spoken language.
偏偏 (piānpiān) and 偏 (piān) are close in meaning, but 偏偏 carries a heavier emotional coloring and more of a complaining tone; 偏偏 leans toward describing something objectively contrary to one's wishes, whereas 故意 (gùyì – deliberately) is doing something on purpose.
do not confuse 偏偏 with the speaker's 'doing it on purpose'; 偏偏 mainly describes an ironic situation/circumstance, not a deliberate action by the speaker themselves.
Examples
There are so many beautiful girls around, so why of all people do you like her?
We had already gotten dressed and were ready to leave, and yet the child just had to wake up right then.
Practice
Test your understanding with a quick quiz
Learn “偏偏” effectively
The grammar point “偏偏” (偏偏 (piānpiān) - Indicates things going against one's wishes/expectations) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.
You can also view the full “” lesson to understand the related grammar and vocabulary more deeply.