不料 — unexpectedly
unexpectedly, contrary to expectations
How to pronounce it
不料 is read bú liào: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Before a fourth tone it is read bú: 不是 bú shì.
On the left, 米 “rice”; on the right, 斗 “measure”: measuring out grain.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “不料”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 不料. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 我以为今天是晴天，不料下起了大雨。wǒyǐwéijīntiānshìqíngtiān,búliàoxiàqǐledàyǔI thought it would be a sunny day, but suddenly it started pouring.
More words from the lesson “Although — and suddenly”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
What does 不料 mean?
不料 (búliào) means “unexpectedly, contrary to expectations”.
How do you write 不料?
不料 is 2 characters: 不 (bù) — not, no; 料 (liào) — material, raw material. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 不料?
不料 is read búliào. Tones: bú — second tone, liào — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“unexpectedly” in the lesson “Although — and suddenly”
This word is from the topic “Connectors and particles” of HSK 6. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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