HSK 6
连接词或词组：而、同、与
lián jiē cí huò cí zǔ ： ér 、 tóng 、 yǔ
Conjunctions/connectors: 而、同、与
Explanation
These are three conjunctions (words that link words or clauses) 而 ér, 同 tóng, 与 yǔ, which carry a more formal flavor than 和 hé (and) or 而且 érqiě (moreover), and are often used in written language.
A 而 B (linking two qualities); A 同 / 与 B (linking two nouns, meaning 'and/with').
而 links two adjectives or complementary/contrasting phrases, for example 善良而乐观 (kind-hearted yet optimistic); 同 and 与 link nouns with the meaning 'and/with', formally, for example 我同他 (he and I); 与 also often appears in fixed constructions such as 成与不成 (whether it succeeds or not).
而 links qualities/actions but does not link two nouns; 同 and 与 link nouns like 和 but are more formal.
using 而 to link two nouns (wrong: 我而他), where you must use 同/与/和; or overusing 与/同 in everyday speech, which makes sentences sound stiff — in ordinary conversation you should use 和 or 跟 gēn.
Examples
She is both kind-hearted and optimistic.
He and I are both new employees.
Whether it works out or not, it all depends on you!
Practice
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Learn “连接词或词组：而、同、与” effectively
The grammar point “连接词或词组：而、同、与” (Conjunctions/connectors: 而、同、与) is one of the key structures at HSK 6. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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