然而 / 而 / 则rán'ér / ér / zé

Formal Conjunctions 然而 / 而 / 则 (rán'ér / ér / zé): However / While / Whereas

Meaning: 然而: however; 而: while/and; 则: whereas/on the other hand

Pattern

These three connectors elevate written Chinese at HSK 5: (1) 然而 ("however / nevertheless") stands at the beginning of the second clause (often followed by a comma) to mark a formal contrast, similar to 但是; never say *然而但是.
(2) 而 connects two adjectives, verb phrases, or clauses in either a coordinate relation (丰富而有趣 — "rich and interesting") or a contrastive relation (never use 而 to link two simple nouns like *我而你; use 和 instead).
(3) 则 stands after the second subject and before its predicate to contrast two parallel topics (南方气候温暖，北方则比较寒冷 — "The climate in the south is warm, whereas the north is relatively cold").

1
我们多次邀请他，然而他始终没来。
Wǒmen duō cì yāoqǐng tā, rán'ér tā shǐzhōng méi lái.
We invited him many times; however, he never came from beginning to end.
2
这本书内容丰富而有趣。
Zhè běn shū nèiróng fēngfù ér yǒuqù.
The content of this book is rich and interesting.
3
南方气候温暖，北方则比较寒冷。
Nánfāng qìhòu wēnnuǎn, běifāng zé bǐjiào hánlěng.
The climate in the south is warm, whereas the north is relatively cold.

•然而 starts the second clause (do not pair with 但是); 而 links predicates/clauses (not nouns); 则 follows the second subject to contrast.

⚠️ Common Mistakes:

•Redundantly combining 然而 and 但是 together (*然而但是).

•Using 而 instead of 和 to link two simple nouns (*我而你).

Combine Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading Practice, Listening, Hanzi Writing, and Mock Exams at HSK 5 to master all skills together.