can "as well as" mean "and"?

[cxpxc8]

"As well as" generally means "in addition to". But it seems to me that this phrase can also mean "and". Is my understanding of this phrase correct? Thank you very much!

[emsr2d2]

"As well as" generally means "in addition to". But it seems to me that this phrase can also mean "and". Is my understanding of this phrase correct? Thank you very much!

In a way, "in addition to" also means "and".

I am cold and wet.
I am cold as well as wet.
I am cold. In addition to that, I am wet.

They all mean exactly the same thing at their most basic level.

[TheParser]

But it seems to me that this phrase can also mean "and"!

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

May I most respectfully remind you to be very careful when using "as well as."

Tom and Sue speak Mandarin.

Tom, as well as Sue, speaks Mandarin. / Tom as well as Sue speaks Mandarin.

[BobK]

And of course 'Tom speaks Mandarin as well as Sue' can mean something entirely different

b

[TheParser]

And of course 'Tom speaks Mandarin as well as Sue' can mean something entirely different

b

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


(1) I am worried that a few learners may not understand Bob's excellent comment.

(2) Bob reminds us that if you use "as well as" in the way in which he has used it,

then it means something like:

Tom speaks Mandarin as well as Sue [speaks Mandarin well].

= Both Tom and Sue speak Mandarin equally well.