Difference between revisions of "Expressing "had better" with "haishi""

Revision as of 08:01, 15 March 2012

You can use 还是 (háishì) as an auxiliary verb to express "had better" or "ought 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 is often before a verb or a subject.

吧 is often placed after this structure as it's a suggestion.

Some examples:

我这很方便，还是 你来吧，我在家等你。

他很熟悉那里，还是 他去吧。

我饿了，我们还是先吃饭吧。

这里太脏了，我们还是 走吧。

别下次了，你还是现在就跟我说一说吧。

这么久了，你的感冒还没好，还是去医院看看吧。

See also
Offering choices with haishi
Sources and further reading
Books
Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 144) →buy

Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 259-60)　→buy

New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 103) →buy

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-You can use 还是 (háishì) as an [[auxiliary verb]] to express "had better" or "ought 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.
+You can use 还是 (háishì) as an [[auxiliary verb]] to express "had better" or "ought 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 is often before a verb or a subject.
-The structure is:
-<div class="jiegou">
-Subject + 还是 + Verb + Object
-</div>
 吧 is often placed after this structure as it's a suggestion.
@@ Line 15: / Line 7: @@
 <div class="liju">
+* 我 这 很 方便，<em>还是<em> 你 来 吧， 我 在 家 等 你。
+* 他 很 熟悉 那里， <em>还是<em> 他 去 吧。
 * 我 饿 了，我们 <em>还是</em> 先 吃饭 吧。
-* 这里 太 脏 了， 我们 还是 走 吧。
+* 这里 太 脏 了， 我们 <em>还是<em> 走 吧。
 * 别 下次了，你 <em>还是</em> 现在 就 跟 我 说一说 吧。
 * 这么久 了，你 的 感冒 还 没 好，<em>还是</em> 去 医院 看看 吧。