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conjunction / adverb HSK 5
qiě
and · moreover · for the time being · just

Meaning

且 is a literary conjunction or adverb that appears frequently in written Chinese and formal speech. It can connect clauses to mean 'and' or 'moreover,' emphasizing an additional point. It can also mean 'for now' or 'temporarily' in certain contexts.

Usage

且 is more formal and literary than everyday conjunctions like 而 or 并且. Native speakers use it in written texts, formal speeches, and set expressions. In spoken Mandarin, it appears mainly in fixed phrases like 且慢 (wait a moment) or 姑且 (for the time being). It's common in classical Chinese and chengyu.

Examples

  1. 01
    这个方案既经济且实用。
    Zhège fāng'àn jì jīngjì qiě shíyòng.
    This plan is both economical and practical.
  2. 02
    此事且慢再说。
    Cǐ shì qiě màn zài shuō.
    Let's hold off on discussing this matter for now.

Common collocations

  • 且...且...
    qiě... qiě...
    both... and...
  • 且慢
    qiě màn
    wait a moment, hold on
  • 姑且
    gū qiě
    for the time being
  • 尚且
    shàng qiě
    even, still

Origin

且 originally depicted an ancestral tablet or altar in oracle bone script. Over time it evolved into a grammatical function word used for conjunction and temporal meanings.

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