ji4而

Jyutpingji4

Yaleyìh

連詞Very common

Definition

And; as well as; used to connect words or clauses to show coordination or progression.

writtencommunication

How it's used

While 而 is used in written Chinese to connect adjectives or clauses, it is rarely used in spoken Cantonese. In everyday conversation, speakers almost always prefer using 同埋 or 又 to express the same additive or progressive relationship. Using 而 in casual speech can make you sound like you are reading from a textbook or giving a formal presentation.

Examples

keoi5佢hou2好cung1聰ming4明ji4而jau6又hou2好kan4勤lik6力。

He is very smart and also very hardworking.

le1呢fan2份gung1工san1辛fu2苦ji4而jan4人gung1工dai1低。

This job is tiring and the pay is low.

Common phrases

ji4而gaa1家

now

faan2反ji4而

on the contrary

Common mistake

Learners often overuse 而 because it is a direct translation of 'and' in written contexts. In spoken Cantonese, using 而 to connect two verbs or two people is unnatural; stick to 同埋 for those cases.