Offering choices with "haishi"

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

Simplest Form

Structure

Option A + 还是 + Option B ?

When you're asked a question of this form, there are two ways you're expected to answer: either Option A or Option B. (Pick one, but not both.) It's not that no other answers are possible, it's that usually when you're asked a question this way, the person asking expects you to just choose one. For example, if asked if you'd like to drink coffee or tea, most people are going to choose one or the other, not ask for both. 还是 is used to ask people to make that choice between the two.

Examples

• 我 还是 他 ？ Me or him?
• 上海 还是 北京 ？ (The eternal China expat question! Choose wisely...)Shanghai or Beijing?
• 啤酒 还是 葡萄酒 ？ Beer or wine?
• 茶 还是 咖啡 ？ Tea or coffee?
• 一 个 还是 两 个 ？ One or two?
• 你 喜欢 男孩 还是 女孩？
• 你 爱 爸爸 还是 妈妈？
• 你 是 美国 人 还是 加拿大 人？
• 你 要 冰 的 还是 热 的？
• 你 要 辣 的 还是 不 辣 的？

Full Sentence Form

Structure

You can take the structure above, add a subject and a verb, and create all kinds of questions with the following structure:

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

Examples

• 你 要 茶 还是 咖啡 ？ Do you want tea or coffee?
• 你 要 一 个 还是 两 个 ？ Do you want one or two?
• 你 是 美国 人 还是 英国 人 ？ Are you American or English?
• 他 是 医生 还是 老师 ？ Is he a doctor or a teacher?
• 你 喜欢 啤酒 还是 葡萄酒 ？ Do you like beer or wine?
• 你 喜欢 上海 还是 北京 ？ Do you like Shanghai or Beijing?
• 你 喜欢 我 还是 我 的 钱 ？ Do you like me or my money?
• 你 想 吃 中国 菜 还是 法国 菜 ？ Do you want to eat Chinese food or French food?
• 你 想 去 香港 还是 泰国 ？ Do you want to go to Hong Kong or Thailand?
• 这 是 水 还是 酒 ？ Is this water or wine?
• 你 喜欢 说 普通话 还是 广东话 ？ (The expected answer is one or the other, not "both")Do you like speaking Mandarin or Cantonese?
• 你 想 要 小狗 还是 小猫 ？ (The expected answer is one or the other, not "both")Do you want a puppy or a kitten?

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

• "Or" in statements
• "Had better" with "haishi"
• Providing two options with double "huozhe"

Sources and Further Reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 76-7, 257-8)　→buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 179) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 206-7, 251) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 125)→buy

Websites

• East Asia Student: The difference between 还是 and 或者
• Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Comparing 还是 and 或者