Usage and reading of the Ampersand


In English, `&` is rather frequently used to mean "and".

How should `&` be read in Japanese? I think these are some likely readings:

  * や
  * と
  * アンド

* * *

**Case 1** : Assume sentence structure is of the form "A & B", where "A" and
"B" are objects. Now the word "and" would just be doing listing:

>   * Apples and oranges
>

This seems easy to achieve with `や` for inexhaustive listing and `と` for
exhaustive listing.

* * *

**Case 2** : Now if "A" and "B" are not objects, but events/instructions/etc.
The word "and" does not merely list. It can imply sequence:

>   * Brush my teeth and go to bed
>

This seems to be achieved using the て form of the verb. (Can `&` in Japanese
do that?)

* * *

**(Question)** What are the ways that `&` is used in Japanese and how should
it be read in each case?




`&` is not part of Japanese. It is just cited form a western language
(probably English), and is just read "アンド". If you see `カードを使う＆電話をかける`, it is
most likely pronounced "...アンド...".

One important thing is that Japanese does not have the counterpart to the word
`and`. The particles `と` or `や` do not mean `and` but are rather close to
`with`. `みかんとりんご` is something like `apples with oranges` rather than `oranges
and apples`. That is why you cannot connect predicates with `と` or `や`. The
て-form is something like participles in English. So the strategy of using the
て-form to connect the predicates like `歯を磨いて寝る` is something like `having
brushed my teeth, I sleep` rather than `I brush my teeth and sleep`, although
the latter sounds more natural in English.




`&` is not part of Japanese. It is just cited form a western language
(probably English), and is just read "アンド". If you see `カードを使う＆電話をかける`, it is
most likely pronounced "...アンド...".

One important thing is that Japanese does not have the counterpart to the word
`and`. The particles `と` or `や` do not mean `and` but are rather close to
`with`. `みかんとりんご` is something like `apples with oranges` rather than `oranges
and apples`. That is why you cannot connect predicates with `と` or `や`. The
て-form is something like participles in English. So the strategy of using the
て-form to connect the predicates like `歯を磨いて寝る` is something like `having
brushed my teeth, I sleep` rather than `I brush my teeth and sleep`, although
the latter sounds more natural in English.

