Dictionary › 而

而

ér

Old HSK 4 HSK 3.0 character level 3 Character

而 (ér) means "and". It is an HSK 3.0 level 4 word, and was HSK 4 in the old six-level list.

What 而 means

1. and
2. as well as
3. and so
4. but (not)
5. yet (not)
6. (indicates causal relation)
7. (indicates change of state)
8. (indicates contrast)

How 而 is used in grammar

而 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Advanced Conjunctions: 而, 同, 与, 不料, 可, 若 (HSK 6)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 4, conjunctions (连接分句或句子); level 4, conjunctions (连接词或词组).

Example sentences

• 适可而止
  Shìkě'érzhǐ
  Quit while you're ahead.
• 不言而喻。
  Bùyán'éryù.
  That goes without saying.
• 铤而走险。
  Tǐng'érzǒuxiǎn.
  Necessity knows no law.
• 尽力而为。
  Do your best.
• 随遇而安。
  Whatever will be, will be.
• 量力而行。
  Pace yourself.

Words starting with 而

• 而且ér qiě(not only ...) but also; moreover; in addition; furthermore
• 而是ér shìrather
• 而已ér yǐthat's all; nothing more
• 而言ér yán(typically preceded by 就…jiù xx or 對…
• 而后ér hòuafter that; then
• 而今ér jīnnow; at the present (time)
• 而立之年ér lì zhī nián(idiom) the age of 30

Words containing 而

• 然而rán érhowever; but; yet
• 反而fǎn éron the contrary; instead
• 从而cóng érthus; thereby
• 因而yīn értherefore; as a result; thus
• 时而shí éroccasionally; from time to time
• 进而jìn érand then; and thereby; and in turn
• 轻而易举qīng ér yì jǔeasy; with no difficulty
• 总而言之zǒng ér yán zhīin short; in a word; in brief
• 不言而喻bù yán ér yù(idiom) it goes without saying; it is self-evident
• 半途而废bàn tú ér fèito give up halfway (idiom); leave sth unfinished
• 锲而不舍qiè ér bù shěto chip away at a task and not abandon it (idiom); to chisel away at sth; to persevere…
• 可想而知kě xiǎng ér zhī(idiom) (it) goes without saying; can well be imagined
• 自然而然zì rán ér rán(idiom) natural; unforced; (idiom) naturally; as a matter of course…
• 继而jì érthen; afterwards
• 不约而同bù yuē ér tóng(idiom) (of two or more people) to take the same action without prior consultation…
• 脱口而出tuō kǒu ér chū(idiom) to blurt out; to let slip (an indiscreet remark)
• 转而zhuǎn érto turn to (sth else); to switch to
• 擦肩而过cā jiān ér guòto brush past; to pass by (sb); (fig.) to miss (an opportunity, a danger etc)…
• 显而易见xiǎn ér yì jiànclearly and easy to see (idiom); obviously; clearly; it goes without saying
• 不得而知bù dé ér zhīunknown; unable to find out
• 久而久之jiǔ ér jiǔ zhīover time; as time passes; in the fullness of time
• 视而不见shì ér bù jiàn(idiom) to turn a blind eye to; to ignore
• 脱颖而出tuō yǐng ér chūto reveal one's talent (idiom); to rise above others; to distinguish oneself
• 取而代之qǔ ér dài zhī(idiom) to replace; to supersede; to take its (or her etc) place

Characters that look like 而

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 网wǎngnet; web; network; to net; to catch with a net
• 西xīwest
• 两liǎngtwo; both; some
• 州zhōuprefecture; (old) province; (old) administrative division
• 删shānto delete
• 丙bǐngthird of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干; third in order…

Sounds the same

Read ér, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 儿child; son
• 鸸used in 鸸鹋
• 陑place name
• 鲕caviar; fish roe
• 耏beard
• 洏to flow (as water or tears)
• 栭tree mushroom
• 胹overcooked; soft
• 唲forced laughter
• 輀hearse
• 轜variant of 輀

Where 而 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Logical connectives & conjunctions (HSK 4), HSK 3 Characters · Set 2 (HSK 3), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 4 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read ér correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.