To distinguish the conjunctions 还是 transcribed háishì and 或者 transcribed huòzhě, the two ways of saying “or” in Mandarin, keep an eye on whether the sentence they are used in is a question or a statement. Generally speaking, 还是 transcribed háishì is for offering two or more choices in a question. 或者 transcribed huòzhě, or sometimes 或是 transcribed huòshì, is usually used in a statement. Let’s take a look at the following dialogue:
In this dialogue, speaker A presents two choices in a question by using 还是 transcribed háishì, and speaker B connects the two alternatives (i.e., French or Spanish food) with 或者 transcribed huòzhě in a statement. This is the general rule when it comes to distinguishing 还是 and 或者.
In this post, we will take a closer look at 还是 and 或者, and how to use them in different contexts, such as in questions, suggestions, and statements.
How to use 还是 (háishì) for presenting choices
还是 transcribed háishi is used for presenting choices in questions and statements. Let’s discuss!
How to use 还是 in a question?
还是 is most commonly used in a question for presenting choices, as we saw in the example at the beginning of the post. These choices can be two nouns, two verbs, or even two adjectives.
For example:
You can soften the tone of the question with 呢 transcribed ne.
How to use 还是 in a statement/indirect question?
还是 can sometimes be used in a statement when it is tied with particular structures, such as:
indirect questions, and
in the structure below:
Let's start with indirect questions:
Look at the following indirect questions in Mandarin:
In these examples, 还是 is still used for presenting choices, but it is inside a question embedded in a statement.
How to use 还是 with 不论 (bùlùn) / 不管(bùgǔan) (no matter whether)?
Another way of using 还是 in a statement is with 不论 / 不管... 还是:
What does 还是 mean in suggestions?
When 还是 is used in the 还是... 吧 (ba) structure, it does not mean “or”; 吧 is commonly used at the end of a sentence for suggestions. The 还是... 吧 meaning ba structure is for suggesting a choice after considering different options. For example:
The first example above implies that the speaker was thinking about going out, but after considering the situation, they suggested that it'd be better to stay at home. In both examples, 还是 implies that the suggestion was made after considering different options or situations.
How to use 或者 (huòzhě) for connecting alternatives?
或者 transcribed huòzhě is used in statements and in questions. Let’s see how!
How to use 或者 in a statement?
或者 is most commonly used in a statement to connect alternatives, unlike 还是. It does not ask for a choice. For example:
In both examples, 或者 connects two alternatives, or possibilities, but it doesn’t require the listener to make a choice, like 还是 does.
How to use 或者 in a yes-no question?
Occasionally, 或者 can also be used in a yes-no question, i.e., a question with 吗 meaning ma at the end. For example:
In this example, 或者 only connects the alternatives, but does not offer choices. To make this clearer, let’s take a look at the example. The question is asking, “Do you have the experience of going to Beijing or Shanghai?” rather than offering choices. Let’s put this sentence in context. You might be talking about your experience living in big cities in China, and you want to ask someone, “Have you been to Beijing or Shanghai?” You do not want to know if they have been to Beijing or to Shanghai, but in general, you would like to know if they have been to a big city in China. In this case, you’re not using 或者 to offer choices, but to connect the two alternatives.
How to use 或者 as an adverb for suggestions?
It is useful to know that 或者 can also mean “perhaps” in some cases, as seen in the example below:
Like earlier, 还是 used here is for making a suggestion after considering the situation and other options. And 或者 in the second sentence functions as an adverb — meaning “perhaps” — to provide an alternative.
Summary
Although 还是 and 或者 are similar in meaning, as they both mean “or,” the easiest way to distinguish them is to ask “is it a question?” or “is it a statement?” If you are using “or” in a question to present two or more choices to someone, then what you need is 还是. But, if you use it in a statement to connect two alternatives, then you will need 或者 for that.
| Conjunction/ type of sentence | 还是 | 或者 |
|---|---|---|
| Question | 你要红茶还是绿茶？ Transcription: Nǐ yào hóngchá háishì lǜchá? Translation: Do you want red tea or green tea? | 你去过北京或者上海吗？ Transcription: Nǐ qùguò Běijīng huòzhě Shànghǎi ma? Translation: Have you been to Beijing or Shanghai? |
| Statement | 我不知道他想喝茶还是咖啡。 Transcription: Wǒ bù zhīdào tā xiǎng hē chá háshì kāfēi. Translation: I don’t know if he wants to drink tea or coffee. | 茶或者咖啡都行。 Transcription: Chá huòzhě kāfēi dōu xíng. Translation: Either tea or coffee is fine. |
| Suggestion | 还是别出门吧。 Transcription: Háishì bié chūmén ba. Translation: We’d better not go out. | 或者我们可以在家看电影。 Transcription: Huòzhě wǒmen kěyǐ zài jiā kàn diànyǐng. Translation: Perhaps we can see a movie at home. |
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