Difference between revisions of "Offering choices with "haishi""
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* <strong>我</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>他</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin"><strong>Wǒ</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>tā?</strong></span><span class="trans">Me or him?</span>
 
* <strong>我</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>他</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin"><strong>Wǒ</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>tā?</strong></span><span class="trans">Me or him?</span>
 
* <strong>上海</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>北京</strong> ？ <span class="expl">(The eternal China expat question! Choose wisely...)</span><span class="pinyin"><strong>Shànghǎi</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>Běijīng?</strong></span><span class="trans">Shanghai or Beijing?</span>
 
* <strong>上海</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>北京</strong> ？ <span class="expl">(The eternal China expat question! Choose wisely...)</span><span class="pinyin"><strong>Shànghǎi</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>Běijīng?</strong></span><span class="trans">Shanghai or Beijing?</span>
−
* 你 喜欢 喝<strong>啤酒</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>红酒</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuan hē <strong>píjiǔ</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>hóngjiǔ?</strong></span><span class="trans">Do you like to drink beer or red wine?</span>
 
 
* <strong>鸡肉</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>牛肉</strong>？<span class="pinyin"><strong>Jīròu</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>niúròu</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Chicken or beef?</span>
 
* <strong>鸡肉</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>牛肉</strong>？<span class="pinyin"><strong>Jīròu</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>niúròu</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Chicken or beef?</span>
−
* 你们 要 喝<strong>茶</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>咖啡</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen yào hē <strong>chá</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>kāfēi</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Would you like to drink tea or coffee?</span>
 
 
* <strong>一 个</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>两 个</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin"><strong>Yīgè</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>liǎng gè</strong>?</span><span class="trans">One or two?</span>
 
* <strong>一 个</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>两 个</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin"><strong>Yīgè</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>liǎng gè</strong>?</span><span class="trans">One or two?</span>
−
* 我们 坐 <strong>地铁</strong> <em> 还是</em> <strong>坐出租车</strong>？<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zuò <strong>dìtiě</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong> zuò chūzū chē</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Shall we take the subway or take a taxi?</span>
 
−
* <strong>大的</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>小的</strong>？<span class="pinyin"><strong> Dà de </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>xiào de</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Big one or small one?</span>
 
 
* <strong>冰 的</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>热 的</strong>？<span class="pinyin"><strong>Bīng de</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>rè de</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Cold or hot?</span>
 
* <strong>冰 的</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>热 的</strong>？<span class="pinyin"><strong>Bīng de</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>rè de</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Cold or hot?</span>
−
* 你们 喜欢 吃 <strong>辣 的</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>不 辣 的</strong>？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen xǐhuan chī <strong>là de</strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>bù là de</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like spicy or not spicy?</span>
 
  
  

Revision as of 06:59, 16 September 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?
  • 鸡肉 还是 牛肉？Jīròu háishì niúròu?Chicken or beef?
  • 一 个 还是 两 个 ？ Yīgè háishì liǎng gè?One or two?
  • 冰 的 还是 热 的？Bīng de háishì rè de?Cold or hot?


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 xǐhuan píjiǔ háishì pútáojiǔ ?Do you like beer or wine?
  • 你 喜欢 上海 还是 北京 ？ Nǐ xǐhuan Shànghǎi háishì Běijīng ?Do you like Shanghai or Beijing?
  • 你 喜欢 我 还是 我 的 钱 ？ Nǐ xǐhuan 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 xǐhuan 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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