而 (ér) is a Chinese character meaning “a written-style conjunction linking clauses: and, moreover,”. It is written from ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇒ (left-falling stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇆ (horizontal-turning hook stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke), and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “and; but (written style)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
㇐ + ㇒ + ㇑ + ㇆ + ㇑ + ㇑
Overlapping structure
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇒ left-falling stroke unknown
- ㇑ vertical stroke unknown
- ㇆ horizontal-turning hook stroke unknown
- ㇑ vertical stroke unknown
- ㇑ vertical stroke unknown
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形笔画拆分：第 1 笔横、第 2 笔撇、第 3/5/6 笔竖、第 4 笔横折钩）
Memory aid
A flat bar (㇐) lies across the top with a short slant (㇒) tucked under it. Below, one stroke drops on the left (㇑) while a long line turns down at the right end (㇆) to close the box, and two more short posts (㇑) hang inside it like a curtain — hold that shape for the little joining word that hangs one clause under another.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 而且ér qiěmoreover; and also; not only ... but also而 = ér
- 待价而沽dài jià ér gūto wait for the right price before selling而 = ér
Go deeper
All readings
and; but
a written-style conjunction linking clauses: and, moreover, or yet, but
连词，连接词语或分句，表示并列、顺承或转折。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 而且ér qiěmoreover; and also; not only ... but also而 = ér
- 待价而沽dài jià ér gūto wait for the right price before selling而 = ér
Other characters with these parts
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 而 mean?
而 (ér) means a written-style conjunction linking clauses: and, moreover, or yet, but.
How do you pronounce 而?
It is pronounced ér.
What parts is 而 made of?
㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇒ (left-falling stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇆ (horizontal-turning hook stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke). The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形笔画拆分：第 1 笔横、第 2 笔撇、第 3/5/6 笔竖、第 4 笔横折钩）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 而 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 而?
而. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 而?
Common ones are 而且. The reading of 而 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.