Expressing "had better" with "haishi"
-
Level
-
Similar to
-
Used for
-
Keywords
One of the ways to use 还是 (háishì) is to have it mean "you had better," after having compared two options. Usually there's even a bit of deliberation before the speaker announces what "it would be better" to do, using 还是.
Structure
还是 as an adverb can express "had better" or "it would be better to." The idea is that the speaker has given the matter some thought, and after considering it, has finally come to a decision. The announcement of this decision will frequently include 还是, and it usually comes before a verb or a subject.
Subj. + 还是 + [Verb Phrase] + 吧
吧 is often placed after this structure, as it's a suggestion.
Examples
- 还是 明天 去 吧 。We'd better go tomorrow.
- 还是 让 她 进来 吧 。We'd better let her come in.
- 你 还是 快点 走 吧 。You'd better leave now.
- 我们 还是 帮帮 他 吧 。We'd better help him.
- 太 晚 了 ,还是 先 回家 吧 。It's too late. We'd better go home now.
- 这里 太 脏 了,我们 还是 走 吧 。It's too dirty here; we'd better leave.
- 快 迟到 了 ,我们 还是 打车 吧 。We're running late. Let's take a taxi.
When the part after 还是 is a negative verb phrase, it's OK to drop the 吧 at the end.
- 太 贵 了 ,还是 别 买 了 。It's too expensive. You'd better not buy it.
- 她 不 想 说 ,还是 不要 再 问 了 。She doesn't want to say. We'd better not ask again.
- 他 一定 不 同意 ,还是 别 跟 他 说 了 。He will definitely not agree to it. We'd better not say anything to him.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 144) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 259-60) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 103) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- 卓越汉语-公司实战篇 (pp. 211) 卓越汉语-公司实战篇 →buy