而 ér and yet
and yet; and; but
How it came to be
A line for the chin with four strands hanging straight down beneath it: a beard. It was borrowed so early for the joining word that nothing of the whiskers is left in its use.
How it is used
- A bookish connector - 而且 (érqiě) moreover, 然而 (rán'ér) however. Joins clauses in writing, rare in plain speech.
- Marks contrast or addition between two parts: 便宜而好吃 (piányi ér hàochī) cheap yet tasty.
- Also links a manner to a verb formally - 从东而来 (cóng dōng ér lái) coming from the east. In conversation people drop it and use 但是/而且's spoken feel instead.
Characters built with 而
Words with 而
- 而且érqiěmoreoverHSK 3
- 然而rán'érhoweverHSK 4
- 从而cóng’érthusHSK 5
- 反而fǎn’éron the contraryHSK 5
- 因而yīn’érthereforeHSK 5
- 进而jìn’érand then (what follows next)HSK 6
- 一概而论yígài’érlùnto lump different matters together (idiom)HSK 7
- 不得而知bùdé’érzhīunknownHSK 7
- 不约而同bùyuē’értóngto take the same action without prioHSK 7
- 可想而知kěxiǎng’érzhī(it) goes without sayingHSK 7
- 总而言之zǒng’éryánzhīin shortHSK 7
- 时而shí’éroccasionallyHSK 7
- 继而jì’érthenHSK 7
- 而已éryǐthat's allHSK 7
- 脱口而出tuōkǒu’érchūto blurt outHSK 7
- 自然而然zìrán’érráninvoluntaryHSK 7
- 轻而易举qīng’éryìjǔeasyHSK 7
- 不翼而飞búyì’érfēito disappear without traceHSK 8
- 不言而喻bùyán’éryùit goes without sayingHSK 8
- 不辞而别bùcí’érbiéto leave without saying good-byeHSK 8
- 似是而非sìshì-érfēiapparently right but actually wrongHSK 8
- 侃侃而谈kǎnkǎn’értánto speak frankly with assuranceHSK 8
- 半途而废bàntú’érfèito give up halfway (idiom)HSK 8
- 取而代之qǔ’érdàizhīto replaceHSK 8
- 因人而异yīnrén’éryìvarying from person to person (idiom)HSK 8
- 扑面而来pūmiàn’érláiliterally something hits one in the faceHSK 8
- 敬而远之jìng’éryuǎnzhīto show respect from a distance (idiom)HSK 8
- 显而易见xiǎn’éryìjiànclearly and easy to see (idiom)HSK 9
- 脱颖而出tuōyǐng’érchūto reveal one's talent (idiom)HSK 9
- 锲而不舍qiè’érbùshěto chip away at a task and not abandon itHSK 9
Example sentences
- 她年轻而美丽。 Tā niánqīng ér měilì.She's young and beautiful.
- 他来了，然而又走了。 Tā lái le, rán'ér yòu zǒu le.He came but then left.
- 他会讲中文，而且讲得很好。 Tā huì jiǎng zhōngwén, érqiě jiǎng de hěn hǎo.Not only can he speak Chinese, but he speaks it very well.