Upgrade your speech
Note 1: Break your 和 hé addiction
Practice Goals:
- Understand how to use 和 hé correctly.
- Learn 4 alternatives to help you stop overusing 和 hé.
- Being able to choose the right way to connect and make paragraphs using the new patterns you learned.
- Learning tip: make sentences that are relevant to you. Use your imagination, and picture yourself using it perfectly in context!
One of the most common words overused by beginner Chinese learners, especially native English speakers, is 和 (hé). This happens because the English word “and” is far more flexible than 和. While using 和 incorrectly might not always lead to major misunderstandings, your sentences will sound unnatural, choppy, and even machine-like. When combined with other issues like pronunciation and vocabulary choices, even the most sympathetic native speakers might struggle to understand your message.
So, how do you use 和 correctly, and what are its alternatives? Let’s find out!
You can watch the video below, or scroll down if you prefer reading.
(Jump to exercises)
How to Use 和 (hé)
和 (hé) is primarily used to connect nouns and noun phrases.
For example:
我哥哥、姐姐和弟弟都住在台灣。/ 我哥哥、姐姐和弟弟都住在台湾。
Wǒ gēge, jiějie hé dìdi dōu zhùzài Táiwān.
(My older brother, older sister, and younger brother all live in Taiwan.)
You might also see sentences like:
跑步和打球都對身體很好。/ 跑步和打球都对身体很好。
Pǎobù hé dǎqiú dōu duì shēntǐ hěn hǎo.
(Running and playing ball are both good for your health.)
In this case, the verbs 跑步 (pǎobù: running) and 打球 (dǎqiú: playing ball) are functioning as nouns within the sentence, so using 和 (hé) is still appropriate.
Occasionally, 和 can connect real verbs, but this is relatively rare and only occurs under specific conditions:
- The verbs are closely related or share the same object.
- They are typically two syllables each.
For example:
你的話，可以影響和改變一個人。/ 你的话，可以影响和改变一个人。
Nǐ de huà, kěyǐ yǐngxiǎng hé gǎibiàn yíge rén.
(Your words can influence and change a person.)
Alternatives to 和 (hé)
Here are four common alternatives to connect verb phrases and sentences in your speech:
1. Nothing (implicit connection)
Often, when presenting two parallel ideas or facts in similar sentences, they feel connected simply through rhythm or structure. No explicit connector is needed.
For example:
李小姐星期六上班，王先生星期天上班。
Lǐ Xiǎojiě xīngqīliù shàngbān, Wáng Xiānsheng xīngqītiān shàngbān.
(Ms. Li works on Saturday, and Mr. Wang works on Sunday.)
我住在倫敦，他住在紐約。/ 我住在伦敦，他住在纽约。
Wǒ zhùzài Lúndūn, tā zhùzài Niǔyuē.
(I live in London; he lives in New York.)
2. 然後/然后 (ránhòu) and then
Use it to connect sequential actions to highlight the order of the events.
For example:
我們去喝咖啡，然後去看電影。/ 我们去喝咖啡，然后去看电影。
Wǒmen qù hē kāfēi, ránhòu qù kàn diànyǐng.
(Let’s go have coffee and watch a movie.)
打電話問他，然後告訴我他怎麽說。/ 打电话问他，然后告诉我他怎么说。
Dǎ diànhuà wèn tā, ránhòu gàosù wǒ tā zěnme shuō.
(Call him and tell me what he says.)
3. 還有/还有 (háiyǒu) in addition, also
Use 还有 (háiyǒu) to add new information or introduce something additional.
For example:
你去買一些雞蛋。還有，別忘了買牛奶，家裡沒有了。
你去买一些鸡蛋。还有，别忘了买牛奶，家里没有了。
Nǐ qù mǎi yìxiē jīdàn. Háiyǒu, bié wàng le mǎi niúnǎi, jiālǐ méi yǒu le.
(Go buy some eggs. And don’t forget to buy milk; we don’t have any at home.)
他告訴我他換了工作，還有，他跟他男朋友要搬家了。
他告诉我他换了工作，还有，他跟他男朋友要搬家了。
Tā gàosù wǒ tā huàn le gōngzuò, háiyǒu, tā gēn tā nánpéngyǒu yào bānjiā le.
(He told me he changed jobs, and also, he and his boyfriend are moving.)
4. 而且 (érqiě) moreover, furthermore
Use 而且 (érqiě) to connect two sentences that are either both positive or both negative, to support or emphasize your point.
For example:
我要寫三個報告，而且，有兩個報告下個星期就得交。
我要写三个报告。而且，有两个报告下个星期就得交。
Wǒ yào xiě sānge bàogào, érqiě, yǒu liǎngge bàogào xiàge xīngqī jiù děijiāo.
(I need to write three reports, and two of them are due next week.)
明天就是周末了，而且下个星期一我们放假，不用上課！
明天就是周末了，而且下个星期一我们放假，不用上课！
Míngtiān jiù shì zhōumò le, érqiě xiàge xīngqīyī wǒmen fàngjià, bú yòng shàngkè!
(Tomorrow is the weekend, and we have a holiday next Monday, so we don’t have to go to class!)
Exercises
Are you getting the four new ways to say “and”? Try and fill in the blanks below with 然後/然后 ránhòu, 還有/还有 háiyǒu, 而且 érqiě, or simply leave it blank.
1.
那件襯衫有一點貴，____顏色不好看。我決定不買了。
那件衬衫有一点贵，____颜色不好看。我决定不买了。
Nàjiàn chènshān yǒu yìdiǎn guì, ____yánsè bù hǎokàn. Wǒ juédìng bù mǎi le.
2.
我們的愛好不太一樣。我喜歡玩遊戲，____我女朋友喜歡逛街買東西。不過，我們都喜歡看電影。
我们的爱好不太一样。我喜欢玩游戏，____我女朋友喜欢逛街买东西。不过，我们都喜欢看电影。
Wǒmen de àihào bú tài yíyàng. Wǒ xǐhuān wán yóuxì, ____wǒ nǚ péngyǒu xǐhuān guàngjiē mǎi dōngxi. Búguò, wǒmen dōu xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng.
3.
他打球打得很好，長得又高又帥，____非常聰明。
他打球打得很好，长得又高又帅，____非常聪明。
Tā dǎqiú dǎ de hěn hǎo, zhǎngde yòu gāo yòu shuài, ____fēicháng cōngmíng.
4
小張喝了一點酸辣湯，_____馬上喝了一大杯水：「怎麼這麼辣！？」
小张喝了一点酸辣汤，_____马上喝了一大杯水：“怎么这么辣！？”
Xiǎo zhāng hē le yìdiǎn suān là tāng, ______mǎshàng hē le yí dà bēi shuǐ: “Zěnme zhème là!?”
5
他每天五點起床，____我每天八點才起床。
他每天五点起床，____我每天八点才起床。
Tā měitiān wǔ diǎn qǐchuáng,____wǒ měitiān bā diǎn cái qǐchuáng.
6
請告訴他我六點到餐廳。 _____，我帶了一個朋友來，請幫我們多準備一個位子。
请告诉他我六点到餐厅。_____，我带了一个朋友来，请帮我们多准备一个位子。
Qǐng gàosù tā wǒ liùdiǎn dào cāntīng. _____, Wǒ dài le yígè péngyǒu lái, qǐng bāng wǒmen duō zhǔnbèi yígè wèizi.
7
他看了一下那個女孩的照片，____問我：「這是你的同學？可以介紹一下嗎？」
他看了一下那个女孩的照片，____问我：“这是你的同学？可以介绍一下吗？”
Tā kàn le yíxià nàgè nǚhái de zhàopiàn, ____wèn wǒ: “Zhè shì nǐ de tóngxué? Kěyǐ jièshào yíxià ma?”
8
我們要兩碗牛肉麵。 _____，麻煩你多給我們兩個小碗和一雙筷子。
我们要两碗牛肉面。_____，麻烦你多给我们两个小碗和一双筷子。
Wǒmen yào liǎngwǎn niúròu miàn. _____, Máfan nǐ duō gěi wǒmen liǎng ge xiǎo wǎn hé yìshuāng kuàizi.
(See translations and answers)
An open-ended exercise
So naggy!
Who is the most naggy person you know? Imagine what he/she would say in Chinese. Try to use all four ways we learned today to connect his/her complaints, requests, and endless speech. Write it down or record yourself speaking.
Translation and answers
- That shirt is a bit expensive, and the color isn’t nice. I’ve decided not to buy it.
- Our hobbies are quite different. I like playing games; my girlfriend likes shopping. However, we both like watching movies.
- He plays ball very well, is tall and handsome, and also very smart.
- Xiao Zhang drank a bit of hot and sour soup, and then immediately drank a large glass of water, “Why is it so spicy!?”
- He gets up at 5 AM every day; I don’t get up until 8 AM every day.
- Please tell him I’ll arrive at the restaurant at 6 PM. Also, I’m bringing a friend, so please prepare an extra seat for us.
- He looked at the girl’s photo, and then asked me, “Is this your classmate? Can you introduce us?
- We’d like two bowls of beef noodles. Also, could you please give us two extra small bowls and a pair of chopsticks?
1. 而且 érqiě 2. (X) 3. 而且 érqiě 4. 然後/然后 ránhòu 5. (X) 6. 還有/还有 háiyǒu
7. 然後/然后 ránhòu 8. 還有/还有 háiyǒu
Leave a Reply