Expressing "or" in statements
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
In English, "or" can be used to connect words when offering or considering choices ("do you want chicken or beef?"). It can also be used as an "or" statement ("it doesn't matter if we eat chicken or beef"), in Chinese, this is what 或者 (huòzhě) is used for.
Structure
While 还是 (háishì) is used for "or" in questions, 或者 (huòzhě) is used for "or" in statements.
Possibility 1 + 或者 + Possibility 2
Examples
- 我 喝 咖啡 或者 茶 ，都 行。I drink coffee or tea. Either is OK.
- 星期六 或者 星期天 ， 都 可以 。 Saturday or Sunday are both OK.
- 今天 晚上 我 想 吃 披萨 或者 寿司。Tonight I would like to eat pizza or sushi.
- 周末 的 时候，我 喜欢 在 家 做饭 或者 看 电影 。During the weekend, I like to cook or watch movies at home.
- 你 去 或者 她 去 ，都 可以 。You go or she goes, either way is fine.
- 下班 以后 我 去 你 家 或者 你 来 我 家 ， 都 可以。After work I will go to your house, or you can come to my house, either way is fine.
- 下 个 月 我 打算 去 杭州 或者 苏州 旅行。Next month I plan to go to Hangzhou or Suzhou to travel.
- 我们 可以 坐 飞机 或者 坐 高铁 去。We can go by plane or by high-speed train.
- 晚饭 以后 我 和 家人 聊天 或者 看 电视 。After dinner I chat with or watch TV with my family.
- 你 可以 用 手机 或者 电脑 上网。You can use either a cell phone or computer to go online.
See also
- Offering choices with "haishi"
- Providing two options with double "huozhe" (advanced article)
