而 — and
and, but; and (lit.)
How to pronounce it
而 is read ér. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
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 “而”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 而. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 她不但聪明，而且努力。tābúdàncōngming,érqiěnǔlìShe's not only smart but also hard-working.
- 我喜欢安静，而他喜欢热闹。wǒxǐhuanānjìng,értāxǐhuanrènaoI like quiet, while he likes noise and fun.
- 他负责网站而我负责广告tāfùzéwǎngzhàn,érwǒfùzéguǎnggàoHe handles the website, while I handle advertising.
- 他为了提高汉语水平而努力学习。tāwèiletígāoHànyǔshuǐpíngérnǔlìxuéxíHe studies hard to improve his Chinese.
- 骑自行车不仅环保，而且对身体好。qízìxíngchēbùjǐnhuánbǎo,érqiěduìshēntǐhǎoBiking is not only eco-friendly but also good for your health.
- 少用塑料不仅环保而且能减少垃圾shǎoyòngsùliàobùjǐnhuánbǎo,érqiěnéngjiǎnshǎolājīUsing less plastic is not only eco-friendly but also cuts down on garbage.
More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.
More words from the lesson “In the language of documents”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
What does 而 mean?
而 (ér) means “and, but; and (lit.)”.
How do you write 而?
而 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 而?
而 is read ér. Tones: ér — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“and” in the lesson “In the language of documents”
This word is from the topic “Office and documents” of HSK 4. 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.
Start for free