The character 而 — “and”: how to write it and what it means
and, but (literary)
The Chinese character 而 is read ér and means “and, but (literary)”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 而
而 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 而, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 而
- 而且but also; moreoverHSK 3
- 然而however (lit.)HSK 4
- 反而on the contrary, insteadHSK 5
- 因而thereforeHSK 5
- 从而therebyHSK 5
- 进而and then, furtherHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 而?
而 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 而 mean?
而 means “and, but (literary)”. It appears in 而且 (“but also”), 然而 (“however”), 反而 (“on the contrary”), 因而 (“therefore”).
How do you pronounce 而?
而 is read ér. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 而 have?
6 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 而 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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