Chinese word

而

Pronunciation

Pinyinér

Meaning

  • conjunctionbut

Example

我想去旅行，而他想留在家里。wǒ xiǎng qù lǚ xíng ér tā xiǎng liú zài jiā lǐ

I want to go traveling, but he wants to stay home.

Illustration for 而 (but)

More examples

不是他不会做，而是他不想做。bú shì tā bú huì zuò ér shì tā bù xiǎng zuò

It is not that he cannot do it, but that he does not want to.

Core concept

A bridge between two statements that makes their difference stand out.

Common phrases

  • 不是因为...，而是因为...bú shì yīn wèi ér shì yīn wèi

    not because ___, but because ___

  • 先...，而后...xiān ér hòu

    first ___, then ___

Similar words

但是dàn shì: Introduces a fact or opinion that goes against the previous statement.
可是kě shì: Introduces a contrasting point or opposing view in everyday speech.
不过bú guò: Adds a gentle counterpoint or small qualification to the previous statement.

Definition in Chinese

作为连接词置于两分句之间，用以指示一方与另一方的对照或转折，书面语和正式语体中出现频率较高。zuò wéi lián jiē cí zhì yú liǎng fēn jù zhī jiān yòng yǐ zhǐ shì yì fāng yǔ lìng yì fāng de duì zhào huò zhuǎn zhé shū miàn yǔ hé zhèng shì yú tǐ zhōng chū xiàn pín lǜ jiào gāo

Word origin

The character 而 (ér, "but") originally depicted a beard, then came to serve as a small linking word between contrasting parts of a sentence.

Usage tips

  • Everyday conversation usually favors 但是 (dànshì, "but") or 不过 (búguò, "however") for contrast, while 而 (ér, "but") has a more formal written feel.

Related words

Word lists with this word