And in Chinese: 和, 跟, 与, 而 (and Which One to Use)
沉浸 TeamSeptember 16, 20266 min readThe most common word for and in Chinese is 和 (hé). You use it to join two nouns: 我和你 (wǒ hé nǐ, "you and me"), 茶和咖啡 (chá hé kāfēi, "tea and coffee"). That's the direct answer, and for most beginner sentences it's the only word you need.
The catch is that 和 can't join two sentences the way English "and" does. "I ate and then I slept" doesn't use 和 at all. Chinese has several "and" words, each with its own job, and picking the wrong one is one of the most common mistakes in early writing. This guide covers 和, 跟, 与, 而 and the "and also" words, how to write 和, and how to say "with", as part of our essential Chinese phrases guide.
和 (hé): "and" for nouns
和 links things, people, and places. It sits between the two items, exactly where "and" goes in English:
- 爸爸和妈妈 (bàba hé māma): Dad and Mom.
- 苹果和香蕉 (píngguǒ hé xiāngjiāo): apples and bananas.
- 北京和上海 (Běijīng hé Shànghǎi): Beijing and Shanghai.
For a list of three or more things, Chinese uses the enumeration comma 、 between the early items and 和 before the last one: 苹果、香蕉和橙子 (apples, bananas and oranges). One 和, right before the final item, just like English.
The one thing 和 can't do is join two verbs or two clauses. "I like to sing and dance" is not 我喜欢唱歌和跳舞 in careful speech, though you'll hear it. The natural version uses a different word, which we get to below.
跟 (gēn): the everyday "and" (and "with")
跟 (gēn) does the same noun-joining job as 和, and in spoken Mandarin it's at least as common. 我跟你 and 我和你 both mean "you and me". Two small differences:
- 跟 sounds more casual and spoken. 和 works in both speech and writing.
- 跟 leans toward "with". 我跟他去 (wǒ gēn tā qù) is "I'm going with him" more than "he and I are going".
Regionally, northern speakers use 跟 a lot; Taiwan and the south lean on 和 and 跟 about evenly. You can't go wrong with either in conversation.
与 (yǔ): the formal, written "and"
与 (yǔ) is the "and" of titles, headlines, book names, and formal writing. You'll see it constantly in print and almost never in casual speech:
Its close cousins are 及 (jí) and 以及 (yǐjí), which mean "as well as" and close out formal lists. If you're writing an essay or an email subject line, 与 and 以及 make it read like an adult wrote it. In a text to a friend they sound stiff.
而 (ér) and 而且: joining verbs, adjectives, and clauses
Here's the word that fixes the "I like to sing and dance" problem. 而 (ér) joins actions and descriptions, often with a shade of "and yet" or "and then":
- 又便宜又好吃 (yòu piányi yòu hǎochī): cheap and tasty. The 又...又 pattern is the everyday way to say "both... and" about qualities.
- 简单而有效 (jiǎndān ér yǒuxiào): simple and effective. Written flavor.
- 而且 (érqiě): and also, and what's more. This one joins whole sentences: 他很聪明，而且很努力 (tā hěn cōngmíng, érqiě hěn nǔlì): "He's smart, and he works hard too."
For two verbs in a row, Chinese often doesn't need any "and" at all. 我喜欢唱歌跳舞 (wǒ xǐhuan chànggē tiàowǔ) is fine: "I like singing and dancing", with the two verbs just sitting side by side. For actions in sequence, use 然后 (ránhòu, "and then"): 我吃了饭，然后睡觉 ("I ate, and then I slept").
还, 也, 又: "and also"
When "and" means "and additionally", Chinese reaches for an adverb before the verb instead of a connector:
- 还 (hái): also, in addition. 我要咖啡，还要一个蛋糕 ("I want a coffee, and a cake too").
- 也 (yě): also, too. 我也喜欢 ("I like it too").
- 又 (yòu): again, and on top of that. 又下雨了 ("and it's raining again").
These go in front of the verb, never between two nouns. 我还你 does not mean "me and you" (it means "I pay you back").
How to say "with" in Chinese
Since 跟 and 和 both slide between "and" and "with", here's the full picture for "with":
- 跟 / 和 + person: with someone. 我跟朋友吃饭 (wǒ gēn péngyou chīfàn): "I'm eating with a friend."
- 一起 (yìqǐ): together. Usually pairs with the above: 我们一起去 ("let's go together").
- 用 (yòng): with a tool, by means of. 用筷子吃 (yòng kuàizi chī): "eat with chopsticks."
- 带 (dài): bring along. 带着孩子 (dàizhe háizi): "with the kids in tow."
English "with" is one word; Chinese splits it by meaning. If you're eating with a person, use 跟. If you're eating with a fork, use 用.
How to write "and" in Chinese characters
和 is two parts: 禾 (grain) on the left and 口 (mouth) on the right, eight strokes total. It's also the 和 in 和平 (peace) and 和谐 (harmony), which is a nice thing to know about the word that joins things together. The traditional form is identical. If you want to practice writing it, our free character practice sheet generator prints stroke-order grids for 和, 跟, 与 and 而 in one click.
Note that 和 has other readings: hé is "and" and "harmony", but it's huò in 和面 (kneading dough) and hè in a few poetry terms. As "and", it's always hé.
Which "and" should you use? A quick chooser
- Two nouns, talking: 跟 or 和.
- Two nouns, writing: 和, or 与 if it's formal.
- Two adjectives: 又...又, or 而 in writing.
- Two sentences ("and also"): 而且.
- Two actions in order ("and then"): 然后.
- "And me too": 也 before the verb.
If you only remember one rule: 和 joins things, not sentences. Everything else falls out of that.
Want to see these connectors in real sentences? Every story in the Chenjin library is tap-to-define, so you can spot 和, 跟 and 而且 in context and hear them read aloud. Create a free account to start reading, or check any phrase from this post in our free Chinese to pinyin converter.
FAQ
How do you say and in Mandarin?
和 (hé) between two nouns: 我和你 ("you and me"). In casual speech 跟 (gēn) is just as common. To join two sentences use 而且 (érqiě), and for "and then" use 然后 (ránhòu).
What is the Chinese character for and?
和, read hé. It's made of 禾 (grain) and 口 (mouth). The same character means "harmony" in 和平 (hépíng, peace).
Can you start a sentence with 和 in Chinese?
No. 和 only goes between two nouns. To start a sentence with "and", use 而且 ("and also"), 然后 ("and then"), or 还有 (háiyǒu, "and there's also").
What is the difference between 和 and 跟?
Both join nouns and both can mean "with". 跟 is more spoken and leans toward "with"; 和 works in speech and writing and leans toward "and". In everyday conversation they're interchangeable.
How do you say "with" in Chinese?
跟 or 和 for doing something with a person (我跟他去, "I'm going with him"), and 用 (yòng) for using a tool (用筷子, "with chopsticks").
