而

ér

HSK 4

而 — ér

1. and; as well as (connects nouns or phrases)

   他聪明而勤奋。 tā cōngmíng ér qínfèn — He is intelligent and hardworking.

2. and so; therefore (connects cause and result in a continuous narrative)

   事情发展复杂，因而他决定退出。 shìqíng fāzhǎn fùzá yīnér tā juédìng tuìchū — Things became complicated, and so he decided to withdraw.

3. but (not); yet (not) — introduces a negative contrast

   他知而不言，让人感到意外。 tā zhī ér bùyán ràng rén gǎndào yìwài — He knew but did not speak, which surprised people.

4. indicates causal relation (introduces reason or cause)

   他因病而缺席了昨天的会议。 tā yīnbìng ér quēxí le zuótiān de huìyì — He was absent from yesterday's meeting because of illness.

5. indicates change of state (marks transition or shift)

   天色由晴而阴，气温也下降了。 tiānsè yóu qíng ér yīn qìwēn yě xiàjiàng le — The sky changed from clear to overcast, and the temperature also dropped.

6. indicates contrast (highlights difference between clauses)

   他成绩优异，而他的弟弟成绩平平。 tā chéngjì yōuyì ér tā de dìdi chéngjì píngpíng — He gets excellent grades, whereas his younger brother's grades are average.