而

The character 而 originally depicted long, flowing hairs on the cheek and is an ideogram based on this image. However, it was later borrowed (phonetic loan) and transformed into a grammatical function word. Specifically, 而 functions as a conjunction (連詞) in Classical Chinese, primarily connecting verbal components (and sometimes adjectives).

Its meaning is flexible, serving both as a coordinating conjunction expressing continuation or addition (e.g., “and,” “while”) and contrast (e.g., “but,” “however”).

In rare cases, especially in Old Chinese before the full establishment of Classical Chinese, 而 was also used as a second-person pronoun meaning “you,” similar to characters like 汝, 爾, 女, 若, and 乃 — all sharing an initial n-sound in Old Chinese phonology.

In Middle Korean, the character’s reading was 'ᅀᅵ', as recorded in the Hunmongjahoe dictionary (훈몽자회), reflecting the pronunciation of the archaic letter ᅀ.

When used as a radical, it typically carries meanings related to “beard” or “whiskers.”