Basic Conjunctions in Mandarin Chinese

In Brief

Use 和 to join nouns and noun phrases, but not normally to join complete clauses. 也, 都, 还, and 又 behave like adverbs and usually come after the subject but before the verb or adjective. For “or,” use 或者 in statements and 还是 when asking someone to choose.

Overview

A connector links words or ideas. English uses words such as “and,” “also,” “all,” and “or” quite freely, but their Mandarin equivalents do not all work in the same position. In particular, 和 (hé, “and”) mainly joins nouns: 茶和咖啡 (“tea and coffee”). It is not the general-purpose clause-linking “and” that English speakers may expect.

Several items in this lesson—也, 都, 还, and 又—are more precisely called adverbs (words that modify a verb, adjective, or whole situation), even though they help connect or combine meanings. Their position is important: Mandarin usually puts them before the verb or adjective they affect. Compare English “I like it too,” where “too” can appear at the end, with Mandarin 我也喜欢, where 也 must come before 喜欢.

These patterns are introduced at A1 because they let you combine basic sentence structures into much more natural speech: saying who did something together, adding information, talking about everyone in a group, and offering alternatives.

How It Works

和: joining nouns with “and”

和 joins two or more nouns or noun phrases (a noun together with words that describe or identify it).

Pattern	Mandarin	Meaning
noun + 和 + noun	茶和咖啡	tea and coffee
pronoun + 和 + pronoun	我和他	he and I
noun phrase + 和 + noun phrase	我的老师和她的朋友	my teacher and her friend

The combined phrase can be the subject or object:

• 我和他都是学生。 — He and I are both students.
• 我喜欢茶和咖啡。 — I like tea and coffee.

The central beginner rule is: do not use 和 as an all-purpose “and” between two complete clauses. A clause is a group of words with its own subject and predicate—the part that says what the subject does or is.

• Unnatural for a simple sequence: 我回家和我吃饭。
• Natural as two actions: 我回家吃饭。 — I go home and eat.
• Natural with a clearer relationship: 我回家了，然后吃饭。 — I went home, and then I ate.

Mandarin often places consecutive actions next to each other or uses a more specific connector such as 然后 (“then”) or 而且 (“moreover; and also”).

也: “also” or “too”

也 adds a similar fact about another person, thing, or action. Its basic position is:

subject + 也 + verb/adjective

• 我也喜欢。 — I like it too.
• 她也是老师。 — She is also a teacher.
• 这个也很好。 — This one is good too.

Unlike English “too,” 也 does not normally move to the end of the sentence. In a negative sentence, the common order is 也不 + verb/adjective or 也没(有) + verb:

• 我也不喝咖啡。 — I do not drink coffee either.
• 他也没来。 — He did not come either.

都: “all” or “both”

都 says that a statement applies to every member of a group. The group normally appears before 都:

plural/group subject + 都 + verb/adjective

• 我们都是学生。 — We are all students.
• 他们都喜欢中文。 — They all like Chinese.
• 这两本书都很好。 — Both books are good.

With two people or things joined by 和, English often uses “both,” while Mandarin uses the same 都 used for “all”:

A + 和 + B + 都 + predicate

• 我和他都是学生。 — He and I are both students.

The group can also be an object placed before 都 in a topic-like structure:

• 茶和咖啡，我都喜欢。 — Tea and coffee—I like both.

Here 茶和咖啡 is the topic, meaning what the sentence is about. This order makes the scope of 都 clear.

Combining 也 and 都

When both appear, the usual order is 也都:

subject + 也 + 都 + verb/adjective

• 他们也都是学生。 — They are all students too.
• 这些菜我也都喜欢。 — I like all these dishes too.

Think of 也 as adding this group to an earlier statement, while 都 applies the statement to every member of that group.

还: “also,” “in addition,” or “still”

还 has two very common meanings. Context tells you which one is intended.

1. Addition: “also; in addition”

   • 我会说英语，还会说一点中文。 — I speak English and can also speak a little Chinese.
   • 我买了苹果，还买了香蕉。 — I bought apples and also bought bananas.

2. Continuation: “still”

   • 他还在工作。 — He is still working.
   • 我还不知道。 — I still do not know.

For a simple “me too,” 也 is usually the safer choice. 还 often suggests an extra item, an additional action, or a situation continuing longer than expected.

又: repeated events and “both … and …”

At beginner level, 又 has two useful patterns.

First, it can mean “again,” especially when an event has already happened or is presented as recurring:

• 他昨天又迟到了。 — He was late again yesterday.
• 你又来了！ — You are here again!

Second, 又 A 又 B combines two qualities or actions belonging to the same person or thing:

• 这个菜又便宜又好吃。 — This dish is both cheap and tasty.
• 她又会唱歌，又会跳舞。 — She can both sing and dance.

The two parts should normally be parallel: adjective with adjective, or matching verb phrases.

或者 and 还是: two kinds of “or”

English uses “or” in both statements and questions. Mandarin normally distinguishes them.

Function	Form	Example	Meaning
alternatives in a statement	A 或者 B	我喝茶或者咖啡。	I drink tea or coffee.
open choice or possibility	或者 + clause	或者我们明天去。	Or perhaps we can go tomorrow.
choice question	A 还是 B？	你喝茶还是咖啡？	Do you drink/want tea or coffee?

A 还是 question asks the listener to choose between the stated alternatives. It does not need 吗:

• 你是老师还是学生？ — Are you a teacher or a student?
• Not: 你是老师还是学生吗？

If the question contains 或者, it is often not a choice question. For example, 你有没有茶或者咖啡？ asks whether the person has either tea or coffee; a simple yes/no answer is possible.

Examples in Context

Mandarin	English	Note
我和他都是学生。	He and I are both students.	和 joins the pronouns; 都 applies to both people.
我喜欢茶和咖啡。	I like tea and coffee.	和 joins two nouns as the object.
我也喜欢。	I like it too.	也 comes before the verb.
她也是我的朋友。	She is also my friend.	也 comes before 是.
我也不吃肉。	I do not eat meat either.	In a negative sentence, use 也不 before the verb.
大家都来了。	Everyone came.	都 emphasizes that the statement applies to everyone.
这两个我都要。	I want both of these.	The two objects are placed before 都.
他们也都住在北京。	They all live in Beijing too.	也 normally precedes 都.
他还在睡觉。	He is still sleeping.	还 marks a continuing situation.
我买了面包，还买了牛奶。	I bought bread and also bought milk.	还 adds another action.
今天又刮风又下雨。	Today it is both windy and rainy.	又 links two simultaneous weather events.
他今天又忘了。	He forgot again today.	又 marks a repeated event.
周末我们可以看电影或者在家休息。	At the weekend, we can watch a film or rest at home.	或者 presents alternatives in a statement.
你要茶还是咖啡？	Do you want tea or coffee?	还是 asks the listener to choose.
你坐地铁还是坐公交车？	Are you taking the metro or the bus?	Full verb phrases can follow 还是.

Common Mistakes

Using 和 between complete clauses

• Wrong: 我喜欢中文，和我每天学习。
• Right: 我喜欢中文，所以我每天学习。 — I like Chinese, so I study every day.
• Why: 和 normally joins nouns, not independent clauses. Choose a connector that states the real relationship, such as 所以 (“so”), or use two sentences.

Putting 也 at the end like English “too”

• Wrong: 我喜欢也。
• Right: 我也喜欢。
• Why: 也 is placed before the verb or adjective it modifies, not at the end.

Putting 都 before the group it refers to

• Wrong: 都我们是学生。
• Right: 我们都是学生。
• Why: Name the group first, then place 都 before the predicate.

Confusing 也 and 都

• Wrong: 我们也喜欢中文。 when you mean “We all like Chinese.”
• Right: 我们都喜欢中文。
• Why: 也 adds a similar fact (“also”); 都 includes every member (“all”). Use 我们也都喜欢中文 if both meanings are intended.

Using 或者 in a direct choice question

• Wrong: 你要茶或者咖啡？ when asking the listener to choose one.
• Right: 你要茶还是咖啡？
• Why: 还是 is the normal connector in an alternative question. 或者 is standard for alternatives in statements.

Adding 吗 to a 还是 question

• Wrong: 你坐地铁还是坐公交车吗？
• Right: 你坐地铁还是坐公交车？
• Why: 还是 already creates a choice question. 吗 creates a yes/no question, so the two question patterns should not be combined here.

Usage Notes

In everyday speech, 跟 (gēn) often replaces 和 when joining people: 我跟朋友去 (“I’m going with my friend”). Depending on the sentence, 跟 can mean either “and” or “with.” 与 (yǔ) is another equivalent, but it is more common in formal writing, headings, and fixed expressions. For an A1 learner, 和 is the neutral default.

Mandarin does not always state a connector where English does. A natural sequence such as 我去商店买东西 literally places “go to the shop” and “buy things” together; English normally inserts “and” or “to.” Avoid adding 和 automatically whenever an English translation contains “and.”

In lists, 和 usually appears only before the last item, much like English: 苹果、香蕉和橙子 (“apples, bananas, and oranges”). Written Chinese uses the enumeration comma 、 between the earlier items.

还 can sound neutral or positive when adding information, while 又 may carry emotion in the “again” meaning. 你又迟到了 (“You are late again”) can express annoyance because the unwanted event has repeated. Tone and context matter.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master all of these contrasts at A1, but they explain forms you will soon encounter.

又 versus 再 for “again”

A useful first distinction is that 又 commonly looks back at an event that has already happened, while 再 commonly points forward to a future repetition:

• 他昨天又来了。 — He came again yesterday.
• 他明天再来。 — He will come again tomorrow.

This is a strong beginner guideline, not an absolute tense rule. In recurring conditions, predictions, commands, and hypothetical situations, the speaker’s viewpoint can make the choice more subtle: 别再说了 means “Don’t say it again,” and 明天又要下雨了 means “It is going to rain again tomorrow,” treating the recurrence as expected.

还是 outside direct questions

还是 can also mean “had better” or mark a preferred choice:

• 我们还是明天去吧。 — We had better go tomorrow after all.

It also remains in an embedded question (a question reported inside a larger sentence):

• 我不知道他喝茶还是咖啡。 — I do not know whether he drinks tea or coffee.

Although the whole sentence is a statement, the unresolved choice inside it keeps 还是.

都 and scope

都 applies to the material before it, but word order can change what is included. Compare:

• 他们都没来。 — None of them came.
• 他们没都来。 — Not all of them came.

The first puts 都 before the negation 没, giving “all did not.” The second puts 没 before 都, denying that the whole group came. This scope contrast is important later, but beginners can first learn the more common pattern 都不/都没.

Question words combined with 都 can produce an inclusive meaning rather than a question:

• 谁都知道。 — Everyone knows. (literally, “whoever it is, all know”)
• 我什么都吃。 — I eat anything/everything.

More precise clause connectors

When complete ideas need to be linked, Mandarin often states their logical relationship rather than using a vague “and.” Common later connectors include 而且 (“moreover”), 但是 (“but”), 所以 (“so”), and 然后 (“then”). This is why mastering the limited role of 和 early leads to more natural sentences later.

Practice Tips

1. Build one sentence in layers. Start with 我喜欢茶, then change it to 我也喜欢茶, 我和朋友都喜欢茶, and 我和朋友也都喜欢茶. Say what each added word contributes.
2. Sort “or” examples by purpose. For every pair of alternatives, make one statement with 或者 and one choice question with 还是: 我喝茶或者咖啡 / 你喝茶还是咖啡？
3. Listen for position, not just meaning. When you hear 也, 都, 还, or 又, pause and identify the subject and the following verb or adjective. Copy the whole short pattern rather than memorizing the connector alone.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Sentence Structure — review the subject–verb–object pattern before placing adverbs such as 也 and 都.