而
ér
- Pinyin
- ér
- Pinyin (Plain)
- er
- Tone
- 2
- Strokes
- 6
- Radical
- 而
- Readings
- érerTone: 2and; as well as; and so; but (not); yet (not); (indicates causal relation); (indicates change of state); (indicates contrast)Order: 0Primary
- Stroke Order Code
- Speed
- Stroke Order Data
- ["M 467 648 Q 765 699 777 709 Q 789 718 783 729 Q 776 744 739 755 Q 700 764 611 735 Q 443 693 299 685 Q 253 679 285 657 Q 333 627 420 641 L 467 648 Z", "M 380 439 Q 512 592 517 594 Q 536 610 521 626 Q 502 639 471 648 Q 470 649 467 648 C 437 653 413 657 420 641 Q 420 638 424 632 Q 436 605 386 503 Q 368 470 351 433 C 338 406 360 416 380 439 Z", "M 200 408 Q 196 412 191 413 Q 160 423 142 419 Q 129 413 137 402 Q 188 329 169 188 Q 148 149 184 103 Q 187 99 193 94 Q 202 82 211 89 Q 238 117 230 205 Q 217 322 214 363 C 212 393 211 402 200 408 Z", "M 567 423 Q 642 430 775 439 Q 793 440 799 431 Q 806 425 804 392 Q 800 253 777 176 Q 764 136 729 144 Q 702 148 678 151 Q 662 157 662 150 Q 661 143 672 128 Q 730 64 743 34 Q 750 19 760 20 Q 773 21 787 42 Q 812 75 824 115 Q 843 167 876 362 Q 882 396 895 415 Q 917 439 900 446 Q 884 465 840 487 Q 813 506 784 495 Q 748 485 656 475 Q 491 460 380 439 L 351 433 Q 272 418 200 408 C 170 404 185 355 214 363 Q 224 364 235 368 Q 269 380 327 388 L 364 394 Q 443 407 511 416 L 567 423 Z", "M 327 388 Q 346 328 347 227 Q 346 199 357 179 Q 372 152 380 168 Q 390 186 392 226 Q 396 335 399 357 Q 400 370 396 377 Q 387 384 364 394 C 337 406 319 414 327 388 Z", "M 524 138 Q 528 113 534 103 Q 538 96 547 98 Q 572 113 579 224 Q 582 317 597 382 Q 601 398 588 409 Q 576 418 567 423 C 541 439 500 444 511 416 Q 510 416 511 415 Q 520 400 522 354 Q 522 168 524 138 Z"]
- Meaning
- The character “而” is a small connecting word that often means “and,” “but,” or “yet,” linking two parts of a sentence (for example, showing contrast or sequence). It can also soften the tone between ideas, similar to “and then” or “and so” in classical or formal Chinese.
- Metadata
- Locale: enCached At: 3/24/2026, 7:17:55 PM
Usage
In modern Chinese, 而 is most often seen as a conjunction connecting two clauses, a bit like “and,” “yet,” or “but” depending on context. It commonly marks contrast or a shift, as in “他很聪明，而我很努力” (“He is very smart, while I work very hard”), or links two related actions or states, as in formal written Chinese: “不断学习，而不断进步” (“continuously study and thus continuously improve”). Learners meet it early in set patterns such as 而且 (érqiě, “and also / moreover”) and 然而 (rán’ér, “however”), where its individual meaning is less important than the function of the whole word. Because 而 is short and formal‑sounding, it appears frequently in written language (news, essays, official documents), often to make sentences smoother and more coherent. It tends to connect parts of a sentence that are parallel in structure or logically linked: cause‑result, contrast, or sequential actions. In everyday speech, people more often use words like 但是, 可是, 还, and 然后, so learners may “see” 而 much more than they “say” it, and understanding it mainly as a linking word that joins two related or contrasting ideas is usually enough for modern usage.
Handwriting Notes
而 is a relatively simple, vertically oriented character that looks a bit like a “ladder” with a curved top and two horizontal “steps” on a central vertical line. In handwriting, it tends to be slightly taller than it is wide, with the upper part often drawn more loosely or curved, and the central vertical stroke visually linking the upper and lower parts into one flowing unit. Writers may compress it to fit in a small square, tilt it slightly, or connect strokes more fluidly, so the horizontals can look shorter or less perfectly straight, and the curves may become sharper or more rounded depending on the person’s style or writing speed. Despite this variation, the key cues—one main vertical structure, separated upper and lower sections, and the “stepped” look—allow both humans and AI handwriting recognition systems to identify 而 reliably, even when written quickly or somewhat messily.
Description
「而」 is a common conjunction in Classical and formal written Chinese, often meaning “and,” “and then,” “but,” or “yet,” depending on context. It links words, phrases, or clauses to show continuation, contrast, or a shift in action or state. In modern spoken Chinese it appears mostly in set phrases and literary-style sentences rather than everyday conversation.
Common Words
- 而er2and
- 假而jia3 er2if
- 而今er2 jin1now
- 从而cong2 er2thus
- 甚而shen4 er2even
Example Sentences
我喜欢而。
wo3 xi3 huan5 er2
I like and.
假而很常见。
jia3 er2 hen3 chang2 jian4
假而 is very common.
我们在学习而今。
wo3 men5 zai4 xue2 xi2 er2 jin1
We are learning now.
这个从而很重要。
zhe4 ge5 cong2 er2 hen3 zhong4 yao4
This thus is important.
请写一下“而”。
qing3 xie3 yi1 xia4 er2
Please write '而'.