To provide a fluorinated ether compound capable of imparting excellent antifouling properties (oil-based ink repellency, fingerprint stain removability) to a hard coating layer, etc., a composition for forming a hard coating layer, containing such a compound, and an article having an antifouling hard coating layer formed from such a composition.A fluorinated ether compound which has either a poly(oxyperfluoroalkylene) chain having a unit repeated that comprises a group constituted by one to three of at least one type of a C1-2 oxyperfluoroalkylene group and a group constituted by one to three of at least one type of a C3-6 oxyperfluoroalkylene group, bonded to each other, or a poly(oxyperfluoroalkylene) chain having a unit repeated that comprises a C4 oxyperfluoroalkylene group and an oxyperfluoroalkylene group other than such a group, bonded to each other, a linking group bonded to a first terminal of the above poly(oxyperfluoroalkylene) chain, and at least one (meth)acryloyl group bonded to the above linking group; a composition for forming a hard coating layer containing such a compound; and an article having such a hard coating layer.