Definitions
Etymology
Originally a pictograph of a beard, now written as 耏. The current use as a conjunction is a phonetic loan.
About
The character 而 began as a pictograph of a beard hanging from the chin: the top horizontal stroke represented the jawline, while the vertical and sweeping strokes below illustrated the strands of hair. (This ancient pictograph later evolved into the character 耏, leaving 而 to be used purely as a phonetic loan.) As a borrowed character, it entirely lost its pictorial meaning and became a highly versatile conjunction. Today, 而 connects verbs, adjectives, or clauses, expressing relationships like coordination, contrast, or sequential progression of actions.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我喜欢咖啡而他喜欢茶。
他因为生病而没来上班。
这个故事有趣而有教育意义。
她匆匆看了一眼，而后离开了房间。
这项任务看似简单，而实际上非常复杂。
他们面对困难，不是逃避，而是勇敢解决。
尽管天气不好，而我们还是决定出发。
随着时间的推移，他的观点逐渐改变，而最初的想法已不复存在。
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.