Using "er" to explain contrasting ideas

The conjunction 而 (ér) is used to connect two sentences that are related to each other, but talk about contrasting ideas or subjects. In this manner, it can be seen as a word meaning "but" or "rather." 而 is often used in a more formal or literary sense, but it is also common in everyday speech.

Structure

Sentence 1, + 而 + Sentence 2

Examples

Needs Examples

See Also

• Expressing "not only… but also"
• Two words for "but"

Sources and Further Reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 343-4) →buy

Websites

• Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Usage of 而