Meaning of 而
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- and
- as well as
- and so
- but (not)
- yet (not)
- (indicates causal relation)
- (indicates change of state)
- (indicates contrast)
How to use 而
而 (ér) is a formal, written-style connector that joins two clauses or phrases, showing contrast, cause and effect, or a simple addition. It often appears in fixed patterns such as 不是...而是... (not ... but rather ...). Example: 他不是不想去，而是没有时间。(Tā bú shì bù xiǎng qù, ér shì méiyǒu shíjiān.) It's not that he doesn't want to go, it's that he has no time.
Picture 而 (ér) as a face with a beard hanging down below a line. Like a beard that links the top of the face to the chin, 而 links two parts of a sentence together.
Common mistake: Learners often use 而 to join two nouns, like 苹果而香蕉, when they should use 和 (hé). 而 links clauses, verbs, or adjectives, not simple lists of nouns. Also do not confuse the shape with 面 (miàn), which has a box inside instead of the four hanging strokes.
而 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
而 ér · and · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 而.
| 而且 | érqiě | (not only ...) but also; moreover; in addition; furthermore |
| 而是 | ér shì | rather |
| 然而 | rán'ér | however; but; yet |
| 反而 | fǎn'ér | on the contrary; instead |
| 从而 | cóng'ér | thus; thereby |
| 因而 | yīn'ér | therefore; as a result |
| 时而 | shí'ér | occasionally; from time to time |
| 而已 | éryǐ | that's all; nothing more |
| 显而易见 | xiǎn'éryìjiàn | clearly and easy to see (idiom); obviously; clearly |
| 轻而易举 | qīng'éryìjǔ | easy; with no difficulty |
| 总而言之 | zǒng'éryánzhī | in short; in a word |
| 自然而然 | zìrán'érrán | (idiom) natural; unforced; (idiom) naturally; as a matter of course; in the natural course |
Questions about 而
What does 而 mean?
而 (ér) means "and; as well as" and is used as a conjunction.
How do you write 而?
而 is made of 1 character: 而 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 而 an HSK word?
Yes. 而 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 而 and 但是?
但是 (dànshì) is a clear "but" used in both speech and writing. 而 is more formal and flexible. It can mean "but", "and", or "so" depending on context, and it often contrasts two things smoothly, as in 他很聪明，而他弟弟很懒 (He is smart, while his younger brother is lazy).
Is 而 used in everyday spoken Chinese?
On its own, 而 sounds bookish and is more common in writing, news, and speeches. In daily speech you mostly hear it inside common words like 而且 (érqiě), 然而 (rán'ér), and 反而 (fǎn'ér), or in the pattern 不是...而是....