Basic Conjunctions in Chinese

Overview

Basic Chinese conjunctions and adverbs for connecting ideas include 和 (and, for nouns), 也 (also), 都 (all/both), 还 (also/still), 又 (again/both), and 或者 (or). These simple connectors appear in virtually every conversation and form the foundation for more complex linking structures.

At the CEFR A1 level, these words are essential because they allow you to go beyond single-idea sentences. Crucially, 和 only connects nouns -- it cannot join clauses like English "and." For connecting clauses, Chinese uses other strategies.

The adverbs 也, 都, 还, and 又 are placed before the verb and carry subtle differences in meaning that become clearer with practice.

How It Works

Word	Pinyin	Meaning	Position	Connects
和	hé	and	between nouns	nouns only
也	yě	also/too	before verb	adds information
都	dōu	all/both	before verb	summarizes group
还	hái	also/still	before verb	adds more
又	yòu	again/and also	before verb	repetition/addition
或者	huòzhě	or	between items	statements
还是	háishi	or	between items	questions

Key rules

• 也 and 都 always come BEFORE the verb
• 都 refers back to a plural subject or multiple items already mentioned
• 和 ONLY connects nouns/noun phrases, never clauses

Examples in Context

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Note
我和他都是学生。	Wǒ hé tā dōu shì xuéshēng.	He and I are both students.	和 + 都
我也喜欢。	Wǒ yě xǐhuān.	I also like it.	也 before verb
你要茶还是咖啡？	Nǐ yào chá háishi kāfēi?	Tea or coffee?	还是 in question
大家都来了。	Dàjiā dōu lái le.	Everyone came.	都 for all
他还有一个问题。	Tā hái yǒu yí gè wèntí.	He still has a question.	还 = still
她又来了。	Tā yòu lái le.	She came again.	又 = again
我喜欢苹果或者香蕉。	Wǒ xǐhuān píngguǒ huòzhě xiāngjiāo.	I like apples or bananas.	或者 in statement
他们都很好。	Tāmen dōu hěn hǎo.	They are all good.	都 for plural
我也不知道。	Wǒ yě bù zhīdào.	I don't know either.	也 + negation
又便宜又好吃。	Yòu piányí yòu hǎochī.	Both cheap and delicious.	又...又 pattern

Common Mistakes

Using 和 to connect clauses

• Wrong: 我吃了饭和看了电视。
• Right: 我吃了饭，看了电视。(comma juxtaposition)
• Why: 和 only connects nouns. For clauses, use comma juxtaposition or other connectors like 然后.

Placing 也/都 after the verb

• Wrong: 我喜欢也。(I like also.)
• Right: 我也喜欢。(I also like.)
• Why: 也 and 都 are adverbs that must precede the verb.

Confusing 或者 and 还是

• Wrong: 你要茶或者咖啡？(or in a question)
• Right: 你要茶还是咖啡？(还是 for questions)
• Why: 还是 is for questions with choices; 或者 is for statements.

Practice Tips

• Practice 也 by responding to others' statements: 我喜欢 → 我也喜欢. This is natural conversation practice.
• Use 都 to summarize: after listing items or people, add 都 before the predicate.
• Master the 又...又 pattern for dual descriptions: 又大又好, 又便宜又好吃.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Sentence Structure -- understand basic sentences before connecting them