HSK 1
连接词或短语：跟、还是、和
lián jiē cí huò duǎn yǔ ： gēn 、 hái shì 、 hé
Connecting words/phrases: 跟, 还是, 和
Explanation
These are conjunctions (连词 liáncí — words used to link words and phrases together).
A + 跟/和 (gēn/hé) + B = "A and B" (used for listing); A + 还是 (háishì) + B = "A or B" (used in alternative questions).
跟 and 和 link two nouns/pronouns of equal rank, often going with 都 (dōu — both/all): 爸爸跟妈妈都不在家 (Neither Dad nor Mom is home). 还是 is used when asking the listener to choose one of two: 你喝茶还是喝水 (Do you drink tea or water).
和/跟 meaning "and" is used in declarative sentences (ordinary statements, not questions); 还是 meaning "or" is used only in questions. Don't confuse 还是 with 或者 (huòzhě — "or", used in declarative sentences, not questions).
using 和 to link two verbs/clauses (Chinese rarely uses 和 to link sentences; it usually links nouns).
Examples
Neither Dad nor Mom is home.
Do you drink tea or water?
Both my younger brother and I study Chinese.
Practice
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The grammar point “连接词或短语：跟、还是、和” (Connecting words/phrases: 跟, 还是, 和) is one of the key structures at HSK 1. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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