Difference between revisions of "Offering choices with "haishi""

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<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
Option A + 还是 + Option B
+
Option A + 还是 + Option B ?
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
Line 14: Line 14:
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
Subject + Verb + Option A + 还是 + Option B
+
Subject + Verb + Option A + 还是 + Option B ?
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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|-
 
|-
 
| 你 || 要 || 茶 || <em>还是</em> || 咖啡 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you want tea or coffee?</span>
 
| 你 || 要 || 茶 || <em>还是</em> || 咖啡 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you want tea or coffee?</span>
 +
|-
 +
| 你 || 要 || 一 个 || <em>还是</em> || 两 个 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you want one or two?</span>
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 你 || 是 || 美国人 || <em>还是</em> || 英国人 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Are you American or English?</span>
 
| 你 || 是 || 美国人 || <em>还是</em> || 英国人 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Are you American or English?</span>
 +
|-
 +
| 他 || 是 || 医生 || <em>还是</em> || 老师 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Is he a doctor or a teacher?</span>
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 你 || 喜欢 || 啤酒 || <em>还是</em> || 葡萄酒 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you like beer or wine?</span>
 
| 你 || 喜欢 || 啤酒 || <em>还是</em> || 葡萄酒 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you like beer or wine?</span>
 
|-
 
|-
| || || 医生 || <em>还是</em> || 老师 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Is he a doctor or a teacher?</span>
+
| 你 || 喜欢 || 上海 || <em>还是</em> || 北京 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you like Shanghai or Beijing?</span>
 +
|-
 +
| 你 || 喜欢 || || <em>还是</em> || || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you like me or him?</span>
 
|-
 
|-
 
| 你 || 想吃 || 中国菜 || <em>还是</em> || 法国菜 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you want to eat Chinese food or French food?</span>
 
| 你 || 想吃 || 中国菜 || <em>还是</em> || 法国菜 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you want to eat Chinese food or French food?</span>
 
|-
 
|-
| || 是 || 大猫 || <em>还是</em> || 小老虎 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Is that a big cat or a little tiger?</span>
+
| 你 || 想去 || 香港 || <em>还是</em> || 泰国 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Do you want to  go to HongKong or Thailand?</span>
 +
|-
 +
| 这 || 是 || || <em>还是</em> || || ?|| <span class="spaced">Is this water or wine?</span>
 +
|-
 +
| 你 || 会说 || 中文 || <em>还是</em> || 英文 || ?|| <span class="spaced">Can you speak Chinese or English?</span>
 +
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
Please note that 还是 is for offering options in a ''question''.  It should not be used for "or" in statements (see below).
+
Please note that 还是 is for offering options in a ''question''.  It should not be used for [["or" in statements]] (see below).
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
 +
 
* [["Or" in statements]]
 
* [["Or" in statements]]
 
* [["Had better" with "haishi"]]
 
* [["Had better" with "haishi"]]

Revision as of 09:48, 3 September 2013

还是 (háishì) is used in Chinese to provide options in a question. This is equivalent to one use of "or" in English.

Structure

Option A + 还是 + Option B ?

You can then put this into all kinds of questions with the following structure:

Subject + Verb + Option A + 还是 + Option B ?

Examples

还是 questions
Subject Verb Option A 还是 Option B Translation
还是 咖啡 Do you want tea or coffee?
一 个 还是 两 个 Do you want one or two?
美国人 还是 英国人 Are you American or English?
医生 还是 老师 Is he a doctor or a teacher?
喜欢 啤酒 还是 葡萄酒 Do you like beer or wine?
喜欢 上海 还是 北京 Do you like Shanghai or Beijing?
喜欢 还是 Do you like me or him?
想吃 中国菜 还是 法国菜 Do you want to eat Chinese food or French food?
想去 香港 还是 泰国 Do you want to go to HongKong or Thailand?
还是 Is this water or wine?
会说 中文 还是 英文 Can you speak Chinese or English?

Please note that 还是 is for offering options in a question. It should not be used for "or" in statements (see below).

See also

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Websites