| Some English words have several possible Mandarin Chinese translations. Knowing when to use the correct word is one of the main challenges for both beginner-level Mandarin students and professional translators alike. For example, the English word for "can" has at least three possible Mandarin translations: 能 (néng), 可以 (kě yǐ), and 会 (huì). Another English word with multiple translations is “and.” You may think that there can be no possible variations for "and," but there are many different meanings for this word. It depends on the subtle nuances of the speaker or writer's meaning or the context in which this conjunction is used. Joining Nouns In sentences that combine nouns or noun phrases, there are three ways to say "and." All three of these connectors are interchangeable and commonly used. They are: · Hé : 和 · Hàn : 和 · Gēn : 跟 Note that hé and hàn use the same character. The hàn pronunciation is most commonly heard in Taiwan. The example sentences are given first in English, followed by a transliteration in Chinese called pinyin, a Romanization system used to help beginners learn Mandarin. Pinyan transcribes the sounds of Mandarin using the Roman alphabet. Pinyin is most commonly used in Mainland China for teaching school children to read and it is also widely used in teaching materials designed for Westerners who wish to learn Mandarin. The sentences are then listed in Chinese characters in traditional and simplified forms where appropriate. He and I are colleagues. Wǒ hàn tā shì tóngshì.我和他是同事｡ Both pineapple and mango are good to eat. Fènglí hé mángguǒ dōu hěn hǎo chī.(traditional form) 鳳梨和芒果都很好吃｡ (simplified form) 凤梨和芒果都很好吃｡ She and mom went for a walk. Tā gēn māma qù guàng jiē.她跟媽媽去逛街｡ 她跟妈妈去逛街｡ This pair of shoes and that pair of shoes are the same price. Zhè shuāng xié gēn nà shuāng xié jiàqian yíyàng.這雙鞋跟那雙鞋價錢一樣｡ 这双鞋跟那双鞋价钱一样｡ Joining Verbs The Mandarin Chinese character 也 (yě) is used to join verbs or verb phrases. It translates as either “and” or “also.” I like to watch movies and listen to music. Wǒ xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng yě xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè.我喜歡看電影也喜歡聽音樂｡ 我喜欢看电影也喜欢听音乐｡ He doesn’t like to go for walks and he doesn’t like to exercise. Tā bù xǐhuan guàng jiē yě bù xǐhuan yùndòng.他不喜歡逛街也不喜歡運動｡ 他不喜欢逛街也不喜欢运动｡ Other Transition Words There are a few Mandarin Chinese words that can be translated as “and,” but which more accurately mean “furthermore," “moreover,” or other such transition words. These words are sometimes used to show a cause-and-effect relationship between the two phrases. Chinese transition words include: · Ér qiě - 而且: additionally · Bìng qiě - 並且 (traditional) / 并且 (simplified): and; moreover · Rán hòu - 然後 / 然后: and then · Yǐ hòu - 以後 / 以后: and after · Hái yǒu - 還有 / 还有: even more; on top of that · Cǐ wài - 此外: furthermore
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