Addition and Stepping Up: 不但...而且, 并且, 而, 甚至

The patterns in this article all add one thing to another, but with different flavors. Some simply stack two facts together. Others build up to a stronger or more surprising second point. Knowing which to reach for helps you connect ideas more precisely and sound more natural in both speech and writing.

不但...而且: "not only... but also"

不但 (búdàn, "not only") introduces the first point, and 而且 (érqiě, "but also" or "moreover") steps up to something even more so. The second point is always at least as strong as the first, and often stronger.

不但 + [First Point], 而且 + [Stronger Point]

• 她不但聪明，而且非常勤奋。(Tā búdàn cōngming, érqiě fēicháng qínfèn.) -- She is not only smart but also extremely hardworking.
• 这家餐厅不但好吃，而且很便宜。(Zhè jiā cāntīng búdàn hǎochī, érqiě hěn piányí.) -- This restaurant is not only delicious but also very cheap.
• 他不但没有道歉，而且还生气了。(Tā búdàn méiyǒu dàoqiàn, érqiě hái shēngqì le.) -- Not only did he not apologize, he even got angry.

When both clauses share the same subject, the subject usually appears before 不但. When the two clauses have different subjects, each subject appears inside its own clause:

• 不但他来了，而且他的朋友也来了。(Búdàn tā lái le, érqiě tā de péngyou yě lái le.) -- Not only did he come, but his friends came too.

而且 can also appear on its own, without 不但, to add a further point mid-conversation:

• 这里环境好，而且交通也很方便。(Zhèlǐ huánjìng hǎo, érqiě jiāotōng yě hěn fāngbiàn.) -- The environment here is good, and moreover the transport is very convenient.

并且: "and furthermore," joining equals

并且 (bìngqiě) connects two things of roughly equal weight. It is closer to "and" or "and furthermore" than to "not only... but also." There is less sense of escalation and more sense of simply adding a second item of similar importance.

• 她会说中文，并且会说日文。(Tā huì shuō Zhōngwén, bìngqiě huì shuō Rìwén.) -- She can speak Chinese, and also Japanese.
• 我们需要更多时间，并且需要更多资金。(Wǒmen xūyào gèng duō shíjiān, bìngqiě xūyào gèng duō zījīn.) -- We need more time, and also more funding.

并且 leans slightly formal and is more common in writing than in casual speech. For everyday conversation, most people just use 也 or 还 to add a second point. 并且 appears more in reports, articles, and official language.

而: "while," "whereas," or "and"

而 (ér) is a short, versatile connector borrowed from classical Chinese. In modern Mandarin it mainly appears in writing and formal speech. It can connect two things that contrast mildly, complement each other, or simply follow in sequence.

Contrast or difference:

• 她喜欢运动，而他喜欢读书。(Tā xǐhuān yùndòng, ér tā xǐhuān dúshū.) -- She likes sports, while he likes reading.
• 这个方法简单，而效果很好。(Zhège fāngfǎ jiǎndān, ér xiàoguǒ hěn hǎo.) -- This method is simple, and yet very effective.

Sequence (more literary):

• 他微笑而不语。(Tā wēixiào ér bù yǔ.) -- He smiled and said nothing.

而 on its own rarely appears in everyday conversation. When you see it in reading material, treating it as a connector meaning "while," "but," or "and" will cover most cases. You can also use it in your own writing to give sentences a slightly more polished, formal tone.

甚至: "even," stepping up to an extreme

甚至 (shènzhì) introduces an extreme or unexpected addition. It is the equivalent of "even" when used to push a point further than expected. The item introduced by 甚至 is always the most surprising or most extreme in a list.

• 他很累，甚至站着都能睡着。(Tā hěn lèi, shènzhì zhàn zhe dōu néng shuìzháo.) -- He was so tired he could even fall asleep standing up.
• 这道题很难，甚至老师也不会。(Zhè dào tí hěn nán, shènzhì lǎoshī yě bù huì.) -- This problem is so hard that even the teacher can't do it.
• 她会好几种语言，甚至会说一点阿拉伯语。(Tā huì hǎo jǐ zhǒng yǔyán, shènzhì huì shuō yīdiǎn Ālābóyǔ.) -- She speaks several languages and can even speak a little Arabic.

甚至 often pairs with 都 or 也 in the same clause to reinforce the "even" feeling, similar to how 连...都/也 works. In fact, 连...都/也 and 甚至 are close in meaning, and either can often replace the other. 甚至 tends to feel slightly more written, while 连...都/也 is more at home in speech.

How they compare

Word	Register	Feel	Use it when...
不但...而且	Everyday to formal	"Not only... but also," escalating	The second point is stronger or more surprising
并且	Slightly formal	"And furthermore," equal weight	Adding a second point of similar importance
而	Formal / written	"While," "whereas," or "and"	Connecting two contrasting or complementary ideas in writing
甚至	Everyday to formal	"Even," pushing to an extreme	Introducing the most surprising item in a series

For spoken Chinese, 不但...而且 and 甚至 are the most useful of the four. 并且 and 而 are worth recognizing in reading material, and reaching for them in your own writing will give your Chinese a more polished feel.