偏偏【piānpiān】

of all things, as luck would have it, deliberately, insist on, just, pianpian

Says things went against what was wanted, "of all times" or "would have to", before the verb or the subject: ，。 is "I didn't bring an umbrella, and of course it rained".

HSK 4

AI-generated

Structure

[clause]，偏偏 + [clause]

[subject] + 偏偏 + [verb phrase]

[subject] + 偏偏 + 要 + [verb phrase]

Description

偏偏 marks an outcome that runs against what someone wanted, usually with annoyance. It goes after the subject, or before the subject when it covers the whole clause. It is spoken.

，。

I didn't bring an umbrella, and of course it rained.

，。

I was in a hurry, and the car had to break down.

Doing it anyway

With a person as subject, often with 要, 偏偏 says they insist on doing the opposite of what they were told.

，。

His mother told him not to go, but he insisted on going.

，。

The doctor told her to rest, but she wouldn't listen.

Just that one

偏偏 can single out the one person or thing that breaks a pattern: everyone else did, only this one didn't.

，。

Everyone came except him, of all people.

偏 alone does the same when someone insists, and is a bit blunter.

，。

You don't want me to say it? I'll say it anyway.

Not for good surprises

偏偏 brings frustration. For a happy outcome you'd waited for, use 终于; for a surprise either way, 竟然.

× 我找了很久，偏偏找到了 → 我找了很久，终于找到了

Examples

，。

I didn't bring an umbrella, and of course it rained.

，。

I was in a hurry, and the car had to break down.

，。

His mother told him not to go, but he insisted on going.

，。

The doctor told her to rest, but she wouldn't listen.

，。

Everyone came except him, of all people.

，。

You don't want me to say it? I'll say it anyway.

，。

I wanted to sleep, and the neighbours had to start singing.

，。

When I went to see him, he would have to be out.

，。

On the day of the exam, of all days, my alarm didn't go off.

，。

All these colours, and you had to pick the ugliest one.

，。

The more of a hurry I'm in, the slower the computer gets.

？

Why does it have to be me?

References

Expressing "contrary to expectations" with "pianpian"resources.allsetlearning.com

假如

免得 / 省得