😅 我吃了面包，和喝了牛奶？Wait… That’s Wrong?!

Have you ever said something like:

❌ 我吃了面包，和喝了牛奶。

(Wǒ chī le miànbāo, hé hē le niúnǎi.) – I ate bread and drank milk.

It sounds okay if you’re thinking in English… but in Chinese, it’s not natural and not correct.

Let’s fix it 👇

❌ What’s wrong?

In English, we connect actions with “and”, like:

“I ate bread and drank milk.”

But in Chinese, 和 (hé) is usually used to connect nouns, not verbs phrases.

So when you say:

❌ 我吃了面包，和喝了牛奶。

It sounds awkward because you’re using 和 to connect two verbs phrases, which isn’t how Chinese works.

🛠 Let’s Fix It

Wrong sentence:

❌  我吃了面包，和喝了牛奶。Wǒ chī le miànbāo, hé hē le niúnǎi.

Correct sentence:

There are two better ways to say this:

1️⃣

• ✅ 我吃了面包，也喝了牛奶。

• Wǒ chī le miànbāo, yě hē le niúnǎi.

• 👉 I ate bread and also drank milk.

2️⃣

• ✅ 我吃了面包，还喝了牛奶。

• Wǒ chī le miànbāo, hái hē le niúnǎi.

• 👉 I ate bread and also drank milk.

❓ What’s the Difference Between 也 and 还?

🟢 也 (yě) - also, too

• Use when both actions are equally true. 

• No strong time sequence.

🟢 还 (hái) - also, in addition

• Use when you want to add another thing or action — often something more than expected.

• Often used when the second thing feels like an extra step or bonus.

💬 More Examples

🗣 Let’s look at a couple more natural Chinese sentences:

1. 我买了水果，也买了面包。

• (Wǒ mǎi le shuǐguǒ, yě mǎi le miànbāo.)

• 👉 I bought fruit and also bought bread.

• 💡 Use 也 to show two equal actions.
  
  

2. 他学了汉语，还学了日语。

• (Tā xué le Hànyǔ, hái xué le Rìyǔ.)

• 👉 He studied Chinese and also studied Japanese.

• 💡 Use 还 to add another action that feels like “in addition.”
  
  

3. 我们去了商店，也去了公园。

• (Wǒmen qù le shāngdiàn, yě qù le gōngyuán.)

• 👉 We went to the store and also to the park.

• 💡 Use 也 again to connect two past actions.

4. 她写了作业，还看了书。

• (Tā xiě le zuòyè, hái kàn le shū.)

• 👉 She did her homework and also read a book.

• 💡 还 adds something extra to the first action.
  

📌 Easy Tip to Remember

• Use 和 (hé) to connect two nouns.

• Use 也 (yě) or 还 (hái) to connect two verb phrases.

🎯 Interactive Practice

Can you fix the wrong sentences below?

1. ❌ 他去了北京，和去了上海。

✅ Correct answer:

• 他去了北京，也去了上海。

• (Tā qù le Běijīng, yě qù le Shànghǎi.)

• 👉 He went to Beijing and also to Shanghai.

2. ❌ 我做了作业，和看了电视。

✅ Correct answer:

• 我做了作业，还看了电视。

• (Wǒ zuò le zuòyè, hái kàn le diànshì.)

• 👉 I did homework and also watched TV.

3. ✅ 我吃了米饭和蔬菜。

• (Wǒ chī le mǐfàn hé shūcài.)

• – I ate rice and vegetables.

• ✔ This is correct — 和 is used to connect nouns.

🚀 Final Reminder

Keep practicing, and your Chinese will sound smoother every day! 💪🙂

👉 Stay tuned for the next common mistake in this blog series!