English gets by with one word — "and" — for every joining job: nouns, verbs, whole clauses, casual chat and legal contracts alike. Chinese refuses to overload a single word that way. Everyday 和 (hé) handles spoken noun-joining (see 和 / 跟 / 与 / 同), but the moment you step into a report, a notice or an essay, three written joiners take over — and crucially, they split the work by register and by what is being joined. 以及 and 及 join nouns in formal lists; 并 joins verbs and clauses in formal prose. Pick the wrong one and your writing reads as either childish or ungrammatical, so this distinction is worth getting exactly right.
以及 — adding the final, often lesser item
以及 (yǐjí) means "and / as well as." It typically links the last element onto a list, and that last element is often broader, lower-ranked, or a bit of an afterthought — the "as well as" flavour in English. Inner items of the list are separated by the enumeration comma 、, and 以及 appears once, before the final chunk.
会议讨论了预算、人事以及明年的计划。
huìyì tǎolùn le yùsuàn, rénshì yǐjí míngnián de jìhuà
The meeting discussed the budget, personnel, as well as next year's plans. (formal)
桌子上有书、笔以及一些纸。
zhuōzi shang yǒu shū, bǐ yǐjí yìxiē zhǐ
On the table there are books, pens, as well as some paper. (written)
我们参观了故宫、长城以及几家博物馆。
wǒmen cānguān le Gùgōng, Chángchéng yǐjí jǐ jiā bówùguǎn
We visited the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, as well as a few museums. (neutral, written)
Unlike 及, 以及 is flexible: it can also link two clauses or verb phrases that sit at the end of a longer sentence, giving it a slightly broader reach than its terser cousin.
报告分析了问题的成因，以及我们应该如何应对。
bàogào fēnxī le wèntí de chéngyīn, yǐjí wǒmen yīnggāi rúhé yìngduì
The report analysed the causes of the problem, as well as how we should respond. (formal)
及 — the terse written "and" between nouns
及 (jí) is even more clipped and formal. It joins nouns only, and it favours headline-style, official, or set contexts. Where 以及 can add a whole trailing thought, 及 simply bolts one noun onto another with maximum economy — think of it as the "&" of formal Chinese.
本次论坛邀请了学者、企业家及政府官员。
běn cì lùntán yāoqǐng le xuézhě, qǐyèjiā jí zhèngfǔ guānyuán
This forum invited scholars, entrepreneurs and government officials. (formal, written)
报名及缴费请在周五前完成。
bàomíng jí jiǎofèi qǐng zài zhōuwǔ qián wánchéng
Registration and payment should be completed by Friday. (formal notice)
这项政策涉及中国及其他发展中国家。
zhè xiàng zhèngcè shèjí Zhōngguó jí qítā fāzhǎnzhōng guójiā
This policy concerns China and other developing countries. (formal)
并 — joining verbs and clauses in formal prose
Here is the piece English speakers miss. 并 (bìng) is not for nouns at all — it joins two verbs, predicates, or clauses in formal writing, usually where the two actions form a natural pair or sequence performed by the same subject. It is the written-register cousin of 而且 (érqiě) and 并且 (bìngqiě), and it is exactly the word you need for "discussed and passed," "received and will reply."
委员会讨论并通过了这项提案。
wěiyuánhuì tǎolùn bìng tōngguò le zhè xiàng tí'àn
The committee discussed and passed this proposal. (formal)
公司已收到您的申请，并将尽快回复。
gōngsī yǐ shōudào nín de shēnqǐng, bìng jiāng jìnkuài huífù
The company has received your application and will reply as soon as possible. (formal)
他接受了这个观点，并进一步作了补充。
tā jiēshòu le zhège guāndiǎn, bìng jìnyíbù zuò le bǔchōng
He accepted this view and elaborated on it further. (formal)
Notice that in each case both sides of 并 are actions (讨论 / 通过, 收到 / 回复, 接受 / 补充) sharing one subject. That is the signature of 并 — and the reason it can never stand between two plain nouns.
| Joiner | Joins | Register | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 和 (hé) | nouns | neutral | the everyday default |
| 以及 (yǐjí) | nouns / phrases (final item) | formal | adds a last, often lesser item to a list |
| 及 (jí) | nouns only | terse / formal | headlines, notices, set phrases |
| 并 (bìng) | verbs / clauses | formal | two actions by one subject in written prose |
Common Mistakes
1. Using 并 to join plain nouns. 并 links actions, never things. For two nouns you need 和 (or 以及 / 及 in formal lists).
❌ 我买了苹果并香蕉。
Incorrect — 并 joins verbs, not nouns; use 和 for two fruits.
✅ 我买了苹果和香蕉。
wǒ mǎi le píngguǒ hé xiāngjiāo
I bought apples and bananas. — 和 for two nouns.
2. Using 及 (or 并) to chain two full verb phrases. 及 is for nouns; to link two finite actions with objects, use 并.
❌ 大会审议及批准了这份报告。
Incorrect — 及 joins nouns; to link the two verbs use 并.
✅ 大会审议并批准了这份报告。
dàhuì shěnyì bìng pīzhǔn le zhè fèn bàogào
The assembly reviewed and approved this report. — 并 links the two actions.
3. Dropping 以及 into casual speech. For two simple nouns in conversation, 和 (or 跟) is natural; 以及 sounds stiff and bookish.
❌ 我以及我妹妹都想去。
Marginal — 以及 is too formal here; in speech use 和.
✅ 我和我妹妹都想去。
wǒ hé wǒ mèimei dōu xiǎng qù
Both my sister and I want to go. — 和 in everyday speech.
4. Repeating 以及 like a list separator. 以及 appears once, before the final item; inner items take 、.
❌ 书以及笔以及纸
Incorrect — don't repeat 以及; separate inner items with 、.
✅ 书、笔以及纸
shū, bǐ yǐjí zhǐ
books, pens as well as paper — 、 between, 以及 before the last.
Key Takeaways
- 以及 / 及 join nouns; 并 joins verbs and clauses — that split, not just formality, is the core rule.
- 以及 (yǐjí) adds a final, often lesser item to a formal list and can also trail a clause; inner items take 、.
- 及 (jí) is the terse, headline-formal "and" between nouns only.
- 并 (bìng) links two actions performed by one subject in formal prose: 讨论并通过, 收到并回复.
- The everyday spoken "and" between nouns stays 和 — reach for these three only in writing.
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Start learning Chinese→Related Topics
- Joining Nouns: 和 / 跟 / 与 / 同HSK 2 — 和 (and its cousins 跟, 与, 同) joins NOUNS and noun phrases — 我和你, 咖啡和茶 — never clauses or sequential actions. English 'and' links anything; Chinese 和 links same-type items, so 'I got up and ate' is NOT 我起床和吃饭.
- 口语 vs 书面语 — The Core Register AxisHSK 4 — The central stylistic split in Chinese is 口语 (kǒuyǔ, spoken) vs 书面语 (shūmiànyǔ, written): the same idea has a casual form and a literary form. 现在 (now) vs 目前/如今; 但是 (but) vs 然而. It is not politeness — it is 'get' vs 'obtain'.