Difference between revisions of "Expressing "had better" with "haishi""
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| − | One of the ways to use 还是 (háishì) is to have it mean "you had better," | + | 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 [[adverbs|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. | 还是 as an [[adverbs|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. | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
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Subj. + 还是 + [Verb Phrase] + 吧 | Subj. + 还是 + [Verb Phrase] + 吧 | ||
| − | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
吧 is often placed after this structure, [[Softening speech with "ba"|as it's a suggestion]]. | 吧 is often placed after this structure, [[Softening speech with "ba"|as it's a suggestion]]. | ||
| − | + | == Examples == | |
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
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</div> | </div> | ||
| − | + | When the part after 还是 is a negative verb phrase, it's OK to drop the 吧 at the end. | |
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
*太 贵 了 ，<em>还是</em> 别 买 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tài guì le, <em>háishì</em> bié mǎi le.</span><span class="trans">It's too expensive. You'd better not buy it.</span> | *太 贵 了 ，<em>还是</em> 别 买 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tài guì le, <em>háishì</em> bié mǎi le.</span><span class="trans">It's too expensive. You'd better not buy it.</span> | ||
| − | *她 不 想 说 ，<em>还是</em> 不要 再 问 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bù xiǎng shuō, <em>háishì</em> bùyào zài wèn le.</span><span class="trans">She doesn't want to say | + | *她 不 想 说 ，<em>还是</em> 不要 再 问 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bù xiǎng shuō, <em>háishì</em> bùyào zài wèn le.</span><span class="trans">She doesn't want to say. We'd better not ask again.</span> |
| − | *他 一定 不 同意 ，<em>还是</em> | + | *他 一定 不 同意 ，<em>还是</em> 别 跟 他 说 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā yīdìng bù tóngyì, <em>háishì</em> bié gēn tā shuō le.</span><span class="trans">He will definitely not agree to it. We'd better not say anything to him.</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
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=== Books === | === Books === | ||
| − | + | {{Source|Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition|144}} | |
| − | + | {{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)|259-60}} | |
| − | + | {{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)|103}} | |
| − | + | {{Source|卓越汉语－公司实战篇|211}} | |
[[Category:B1 grammar points]] | [[Category:B1 grammar points]] | ||
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{{Rel char|吧}} | {{Rel char|吧}} | ||
{{Similar|"Yinggai" for should}} | {{Similar|"Yinggai" for should}} | ||
| − | |||
{{Similar|Expressing "had better" with "zuihao"}} | {{Similar|Expressing "had better" with "zuihao"}} | ||
{{Similar|Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"}} | {{Similar|Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"}} | ||
| + | {{Used for|Expressing quality}} | ||
| + | {{Used for|Expressing obligations}} | ||
{{POS|Adverbs}} | {{POS|Adverbs}} | ||
| − | {{ | + | {{Translation|had better}} |
| − | |||
| − | |||
Latest revision as of 07:55, 26 November 2018
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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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
