和

hé prep., conj.

Harmonious accord between separate sounds or people. And; with; together with.

hé adj.

gentle; mild; harmonious

Common Usage & Traps

  • 我和你 (wǒ hé nǐ) — you and I / you and me
  • 儿子和女儿 (érzi hé nǚ'ér) — son and daughter
  • 爸爸和妈妈 (bàba hé māma) — dad and mom
  • 和你一起 (hé nǐ yìqǐ) — together with you
  • 我一起去和你 我和你一起去

    English puts 'with you' after 'go,' but Chinese links the people before the verb.

  • 我喜欢茶,和我喜欢咖啡 我喜欢茶,也喜欢咖啡

    和 links nouns, not full sentences; use a comma plus 也 or link objects with 和.

Why does 我和你一起去 sound right, but 我一起去和你 sounds broken?

Put 和 before the verb: 我和你一起去, not 我一起去和你.

Chinese builds the group first: 我和你 means 'you and I.' Then 一起 adds 'together' right before the action. English can say 'I go together with you,' but Chinese does not leave 和 after the verb. Keep the people linked by 和 in front of the verb phrase.
DimensionNaturalAvoid
Order before verb我和你一起去我一起去和你
MeaningYou and I go togetherI go together with you (English order)
Natural feelStreet nativeBroken translation

Can 和 join two full sentences, like 我喜欢茶,和我喜欢咖啡?

No. 和 links nouns, not full sentences; say 我喜欢茶,也喜欢咖啡.

English and can connect full sentences: 'I like tea, and I like coffee.' Chinese 和 usually connects two nouns or noun phrases. To connect full sentences, use a comma plus 也, or start a new sentence. If you just want both objects, say 我喜欢茶和咖啡.
DimensionNaturalAvoid
Linking nouns我喜欢茶和咖啡我喜欢茶,和我喜欢咖啡
Linking sentences我喜欢茶,也喜欢咖啡我喜欢茶,和我喜欢咖啡
English trapcomma + 也and between full sentences

Does 和 mean 'both' in 儿子和女儿都在北京工作, or does 都 do that job?

和 only links; 都 means 'both' or 'all.'

In 儿子和女儿都在北京工作, 和 joins son and daughter into one group. 都 then says both of them work in Beijing. Without 都, the sentence can still suggest both, but 都 makes 'both' clear and natural. Do not use 也 for this; 也 means 'also.'
DimensionNaturalAvoid
Linking son and daughter儿子和女儿儿子也女儿
Marking both儿子和女儿都...儿子和女儿也... (unless 'also')
English mappingand + bothand + also

Appears in Stories 25 stories

Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.

《电脑没脑子》 (Computers Have No Brains) HSK 1
~1 min read 76 chars
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This playful poem will make you smile as you explore how Chinese words like 'computer' and 'phone' can be funnier than they seem. Get ready to enjoy simple HSK 1 vocabulary and a twist of logic!

  • 上班 和 下班,上课 和 下课,上午 和 下午。

《成语0001:东山再起》 (The Comeback: From Eastern Mountain to Success) HSK 7
~5 min read 589 chars
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Learn the fascinating story behind the Chinese idiom '东山再起' (Dongshan Zaiji), which means to make a comeback. Discover its historical roots and modern usage.

  • 但谢安不想做官,多次拒绝了朝廷的邀请,就住在会稽的东山(今天的浙江省会稽山), 和 朋友一起游玩。

  • 这是一个褒义词,表达的是鼓励 和 佩服。

《我们一家》 (A Family Dinner at the Restaurant) HSK 2
~6 min read 401 chars
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In this warm dialogue, a parent introduces their family at a restaurant. A teacher gently corrects common mistakes about family words and names, making it perfect for HSK 2 learners.

  • A:不是,我 和 我的家人来吃饭。

  • 那是我的儿子 和 女儿。

《一家人》 (A Family of Six: Little Bao and His Green-Eyed Kids) HSK 2
~4 min read 256 chars
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This simple HSK 2 story introduces a warm family of six. Follow Little Bao and his British wife as they raise their two green-eyed children, each with their own personality.

  • “小包先生”的家有六口人,他的爸妈、儿子、女儿 和 他们两口子。

  • 她最喜欢画自己的家人,但是她不喜欢 和 弟弟一起画画儿。

《森林大火》 (Forest Fires and a Homesick Heart) HSK 4
~4 min read 454 chars
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Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.

  • 科学家说,受影响的不只是森林里的动物 和 植物,还有附近的城市。

  • 春天 和 夏天雨水少,温度高的时候,人们也要特别小心森林大火。

《友好的高友朋》 (A Friendly New Friend at Work) HSK 2
~4 min read 243 chars
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Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.

  • 他今天从上海回来,晚上就 和 我去了一个饭馆儿吃北京菜。

  • 高友朋的英语不好,我想我可以 和 他一起学习。

《是谁要去玩?》 (A Hot Day at School) HSK 1
~4 min read 261 chars
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Join a family on a sweltering Beijing Sunday as a boy learns a funny lesson about playing outside in the summer heat. Perfect for HSK 1 learners.

  • 我 和 我爱人在北京七月的下午两点,坐上车 和 儿子去学校。

  • 我 和 妈妈去那个商店买点喝的东西。

《找“大白”》 (Looking for Big White) HSK 1
~5 min read 361 chars
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A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.

  • 老先生对白天明说:“我八十岁了,儿子 和 女儿都在北京工作,我一个人住在这里。

  • 白天明对老先生说:“老先生,我天天都来这里 和 您说话。

《我的家人(1)》 (My Family Members) HSK 1
~2 min read 116 chars
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Before you read, meet the grandparents! This rhyming chant helps you practice the different names for maternal and paternal grandparents in Chinese. Listen to the beat and repeat.

  • 爷爷 和 奶奶,姥爷 和 姥姥,他们都爱我,我也爱他们。

《大学者和小人物》 (The Scholar and the Cookie Seller) HSK 5
~8 min read 882 chars
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Discover how a simple letter from a cookie seller led to an unexpected friendship with a famous scholar. This heartwarming story explores kindness and connection across social divides.

  • 在他的晚年,有一位卖饼干的小人物成了他的朋友,给他带来一点意外 和 许多快乐。

  • 我只能说,你说的英国制度 和 美国制度其实没有什么不一样。

《谢谢您请》 (The Day 'Please' Stayed Home) HSK 1
~2 min read 132 chars
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Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.

  • 家人、朋友关系好,“谢谢”、“您”、“请”太客气,在家说话不客气,可以不说“您 和 请”。

《一到十二月》 (Twelve Months of Love) HSK 1
~2 min read 108 chars
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Welcome! This short poem helps you practice the months, weekdays, and mealtimes in Chinese. Read it aloud and notice the rhythm. You already know many of these words!

  • 星期日 和 天,日日 和 爱人,超市买菜米,回家做饭忙。

《哪里哪里!》 (Where is 'Where'?) HSK 1
~6 min read 432 chars
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Chat about where friends study Chinese while exploring 哪儿 and 哪里 across Beijing and Shanghai. Practice asking “where”, talking about “here” and “there”, and using the modest reply 哪里哪里 to accept a compliment.

  • 那,北京人怎么说“here” 和 “there”?

  • 小米:北京人喜欢说“这儿” 和 “那儿”。

《吃的东西和喝的东西》 (Buying Food and Drinks) HSK 1
~4 min read 305 chars
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This is a short dialogue about a shopping trip. A woman buys many things, including food, drinks, furniture, and pet food, while her boyfriend reminds her not to overspend.

  • 我买了鸡蛋、面包、牛奶,还有一些水果,这些都是你 和 我的吃的 和 喝的东西,还有给我们的小猫 和 小狗吃的东西。

  • 你喜欢的那个桌子 和 椅子,我也买了。”

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