Difference between revisions of "Offering choices with "haishi""
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* 你 要 <strong>茶</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>咖啡</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào <strong>chá</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>kāfēi</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want tea or coffee?</span>
 
* 你 要 <strong>茶</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>咖啡</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào <strong>chá</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>kāfēi</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want tea or coffee?</span>
−
* 你 要 <strong>一 个</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>两 个</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào <strong>yīgè </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>liǎng gè </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want one or two?</span>
+
* 你 要 <strong>一 个</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>两 个</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào <strong>yīgè </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>liǎng gè </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want one or two?</span>
−
* 你 是 <strong>美国 人</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>英国 人</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ shì <strong>Měiguó rén </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>Yīngguó rén </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Are you American or British?</span>
+
* 你 是 <strong>美国 人</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>英国 人</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ shì <strong>Měiguó rén </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>Yīngguó rén </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Are you American or British?</span>
−
* 他 是 <strong>医生</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>老师</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Tā shì <strong>yīshēng </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>lǎoshī </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Is he a doctor or a teacher?</span>
+
* 他 是 <strong>医生</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>老师</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Tā shì <strong>yīshēng </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>lǎoshī </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Is he a doctor or a teacher?</span>
−
* 你 喜欢 <strong>啤酒</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>葡萄酒</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuān <strong>píjiǔ </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>pútáojiǔ </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like beer or wine?</span>
+
* 你 喜欢 <strong>啤酒</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>葡萄酒</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuān <strong>píjiǔ </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>pútáojiǔ </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like beer or wine?</span>
−
* 你 喜欢 <strong>上海</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>北京</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuān <strong>Shànghǎi </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>Běijīng </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like Shanghai or Beijing?</span>
+
* 你 喜欢 <strong>上海</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>北京</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuān <strong>Shànghǎi </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>Běijīng </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like Shanghai or Beijing?</span>
−
* 你 喜欢 <strong>我</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>我 的 钱</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuān <strong>wǒ </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>wǒ de qián </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like me or my money?</span>
+
* 你 喜欢 <strong>我</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>我 的 钱</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuān <strong>wǒ </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>wǒ de qián </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like me or my money?</span>
−
* 你 想 吃 <strong>中国 菜</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>法国 菜</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiǎng chī <strong>Zhōngguó cài </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>Fǎguó cài </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want to eat Chinese food or French food?</span>
+
* 你 想 吃 <strong>中国 菜</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>法国 菜</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiǎng chī <strong>Zhōngguó cài </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>Fǎguó cài </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want to eat Chinese food or French food?</span>
−
* 你 想 去 <strong>香港</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>泰国</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiǎng qù <strong>Xiānggǎng </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>Tàiguó </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want to  go to Hong Kong or Thailand?</span>
+
* 你 想 去 <strong>香港</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>泰国</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiǎng qù <strong>Xiānggǎng </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>Tàiguó </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want to  go to Hong Kong or Thailand?</span>
−
* 这 是 <strong>水</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>酒</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Zhè shì <strong>shuǐ </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>jiǔ </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Is this water or wine?</span>
+
* 这 是 <strong>水</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>酒</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Zhè shì <strong>shuǐ </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>jiǔ </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Is this water or wine?</span>
−
* 你 喜欢 说 <strong>普通话</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>广东话</strong> ？ <span class="expl">(The expected answer is one or the other, not "both")</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuān shuō <strong>Pǔtōnghuà </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>Guǎngdōng huà </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like speaking Mandarin or Cantonese?</span>
+
* 你 喜欢 说 <strong>普通话</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>广东话</strong> ？ <span class="expl">(The expected answer is one or the other, not "both")</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuān shuō <strong>Pǔtōnghuà </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>Guǎngdōng huà </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like speaking Mandarin or Cantonese?</span>
−
* 你 想 要 <strong>小狗</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>小猫</strong> ？ <span class="expl">(The expected answer is one or the other, not "both")</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiǎng yào <strong>xiǎo gǒu </strong> <em>háishì </em> <strong>xiǎo māo </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want a puppy or a kitten?</span>
+
* 你 想 要 <strong>小狗</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>小猫</strong> ？ <span class="expl">(The expected answer is one or the other, not "both")</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ xiǎng yào <strong>xiǎo gǒu </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>xiǎo māo </strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want a puppy or a kitten?</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 01:28, 15 July 2015

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 (háishì) is used to ask people to make that choice between the two.

Examples

  • 我 还是 他 ？ Wǒ háishì tā?Me or him?
  • 上海 还是 北京 ？ (The eternal China expat question! Choose wisely...)Shànghǎi háishì Běijīng?Shanghai or Beijing?
  • 啤酒 还是 葡萄酒 ？ Píjiǔ háishì pútáojiǔ?Beer or wine?
  • 茶 还是 咖啡 ？ Chá háishì kāfēi?Tea or coffee?
  • 一 个 还是 两 个 ？ Yīgè háishì liǎng gè?One or two?
  • 地铁 还是 出租车？Dìtiě háishì chūzū chē?Subway or taxi?
  • 冰 的 还是 热 的？Bīng de háishì rè de?Cold or hot?
  • 辣 的 还是 不 辣 的？Là de háishì bù là de?Spicy or not spicy?
  • 鸡肉 还是 牛肉？Jīròu háishì niúròu?Chicken or beef?
  • 拿铁 还是 摩卡？Ná tiě háishì mókǎ?Latte or mocha?

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 ？ Nǐ yào chá háishì kāfēi?Do you want tea or coffee?
  • 你 要 一 个 还是 两 个 ？ Nǐ yào yīgè háishì liǎng gè ?Do you want one or two?
  • 你 是 美国 人 还是 英国 人 ？ Nǐ shì Měiguó rén háishì Yīngguó rén ?Are you American or British?
  • 他 是 医生 还是 老师 ？ Tā shì yīshēng háishì lǎoshī ?Is he a doctor or a teacher?
  • 你 喜欢 啤酒 还是 葡萄酒 ？ Nǐ xǐhuān píjiǔ háishì pútáojiǔ ?Do you like beer or wine?
  • 你 喜欢 上海 还是 北京 ？ Nǐ xǐhuān Shànghǎi háishì Běijīng ?Do you like Shanghai or Beijing?
  • 你 喜欢 我 还是 我 的 钱 ？ Nǐ xǐhuān wǒ háishì wǒ de qián ?Do you like me or my money?
  • 你 想 吃 中国 菜 还是 法国 菜 ？ Nǐ xiǎng chī Zhōngguó cài háishì Fǎguó cài ?Do you want to eat Chinese food or French food?
  • 你 想 去 香港 还是 泰国 ？ Nǐ xiǎng qù Xiānggǎng háishì Tàiguó ?Do you want to go to Hong Kong or Thailand?
  • 这 是 水 还是 酒 ？ Zhè shì shuǐ háishì jiǔ ?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")Nǐ xǐhuān shuō Pǔtōnghuà háishì Guǎngdōng huà ?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")Nǐ xiǎng yào xiǎo gǒu háishì xiǎo māo ?Do you want a puppy or a kitten?

Please note that 还是 (háishì) 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

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