与 (yǔ)

Preposition

As a preposition, “与” introduces the target of an action or comparison, equivalent to “跟” or “向.”  It’s usually used in written Chinese.

Subject + 与 + Noun phrase / Pronoun + Verb phrase / Adjective phrase

“与” combines with a noun phrase or pronoun to function as an adverbial modifier in a sentence. The noun phrase or pronoun following “与” is usually the object of the action, coordination, or comparison.

e.g.

As the object of the action:

我没与她说起过我的经历。(Wǒ méi yǔ tā shuō qǐ guò wǒ de jīnglì.) I have never told her about my experiences.

我们常常需要与自己的懒惰做斗争。(Wǒmen chángcháng xūyào yǔ zìjǐ de lǎnduò zuò dòuzhēng.) We often need to fight against our own laziness.

As the object of coordination:

我希望与你们成为好朋友。(Wǒ xīwàng yǔ nǐmen chéngwéi hǎo péngyǒu.) I hope to become good friends with you.

家长要与孩子一起面对困难、解决困难。(Jiāzhǎng yào yǔ háizi yìqǐ miànduì kùnnán, jiějué kùnnán.) Parents need to face and solve difficulties together with their children.

As the object of comparison:

目前的情况与去年差不多。(Mùqián de qíngkuàng yǔ qùnián chàbuduō.) The current situation is similar to last year.

他的说法与你的说法并不一致。(Tā de shuōfǎ yǔ nǐ de shuōfǎ bìng bù yīzhì.) His statement does not match yours.

与 + Noun phrase / Pronoun + 相比/一样, Subject + Adjective phrase

e.g.

与你相比，我们还太幼稚了。(Yǔ nǐ xiāngbǐ, wǒmen hái tài yòuzhì le.) Compared to you, we are still too immature.

与很多国家相比，中国还是一个发展中国家。(Yǔ hěn duō guójiā xiāngbǐ, Zhōngguó hái shì yī gè fāzhǎn zhōng guójiā.) Compared to many countries, China is still a developing country.

与你们一样，我也是新移民，对这个城市不熟。(Yǔ nǐmen yíyàng, wǒ yě shì xīn yímín, duì zhè ge chéngshì bù shú.) Like you, I am also a new immigrant and not familiar with this city.

与那套方案一样，这套方案的不足之处也很明显。(Yǔ nà tào fāng’àn yíyàng, zhè tào fāng’àn de bùzú zhī chù yě hěn míngxiǎn.) Like that plan, the shortcomings of this plan are also very obvious.

Conjunction

As a conjunction, “与” means “和”, which indicates a coordinating or alternative relationship. It’s usually used in written Chinese.

“与” can link two noun or pronoun to function as the subject or object of a sentence.

Noun 1 / Pronoun 1 + 与 + Noun 2 / Pronoun 2

e.g.

你与我一同去参加聚会吧。(Nǐ yǔ wǒ yītóng qù cānjiā jùhuì ba.) You should go to the party with me.

成都与杭州都是非常美丽的城市。(Chéngdū yǔ Hángzhōu dōu shì fēicháng měilì de chéngshì.) Chengdu and Hangzhou are both very beautiful cities.

好朋友带我参观了她的大学与公司。(Hǎo péngyǒu dài wǒ cānguān le tā de dàxué yǔ gōngsī.) A good friend showed me around her university and company.

这是你的信仰与理想，不能轻易放弃！(Zhè shì nǐ de xìnyǎng yǔ lǐxiǎng, bùnéng qīngyì fàngqì!) These are your beliefs and ideals; you must not give them up easily!

“与” can also connect the affirmative and negative forms of a verb, usually followed by a pause.

Verb + 与 + 不Verb，Subject + Verb phrase

e.g.

我去与不去，看那时的心情吧。(Wǒ qù yǔ bù qù, kàn nà shí de xīnqíng ba.) Whether I go or not depends on my mood at that time.

这房子租与不租，不由我决定。(Zhè fángzi zū yǔ bù zū, bù yóu wǒ juédìng.) Whether to rent this house or not is not up to me to decide.

我们想与不想并不重要，重要的是你是否开心。(Wǒmen xiǎng yǔ bù xiǎng bìng bù zhòngyào, zhòngyào de shì nǐ shìfǒu kāixīn.) Whether we want it or not is not important; what matters is whether you are happy.

此事成与不成就看老天如何安排了。(Cǐ shì chéng yǔ bù chéng jiù kàn lǎotiān rúhé ānpái le.) Whether this matter succeeds or not depends on how fate arranges it.

Fixed phrase

与此同时

“与此同时” means “at the same time.” It is used as a parenthetical expression to connect clauses or sentences.

e.g.

这次的公司股东大会按时召开，与此同时，下一季度的计划也要拿出来。(Zhè cì de gōngsī gǔdōng dàhuì ànshí zhàokāi, yǔcǐ tóngshí, xià yī jìdù de jìhuà yě yào ná chū lái.) This time, the company’s shareholders’ meeting was held on time; at the same time, the plan for the next quarter must be presented.

公司在开发新产品，与此同时，市场部门在准备推广计划。(Gōngsī zài kāifā xīn chǎnpǐn, yǔcǐ tóngshí, shìchǎng bùmén zài zhǔnbèi tuīguǎng jìhuà.) The company is developing a new product; at the same time, the marketing department is preparing a promotion plan.

学汉语就应该多听多练，与此同时，可以找一位专业的老师来帮助你提高。(Xué Hànyǔ jiù yīnggāi duō tīng duō liàn, yǔcǐ tóngshí, kěyǐ zhǎo yī wèi zhuānyè de lǎoshī lái bāngzhù nǐ tígāo.) To learn Chinese, you should listen and practice more; at the same time, you can find a professional teacher to help you improve.

老师在讲解课文，与此同时，学生们在认真做笔记。(Lǎoshī zài jiǎngjiě kèwén, yǔcǐ tóngshí, xuéshēng men zài rènzhēn zuò bǐjì.) The teacher is explaining the text; at the same time, the students are taking notes attentively.