Difference between revisions of "Offering choices with "haishi""
| Line 47: | Line 47: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 你 要 <strong>茶</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>咖啡</strong> ？ <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="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="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="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="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="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="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="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>fàguó 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="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="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="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="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> |
</div> | </div> | ||
Revision as of 14:46, 23 September 2014
-
Level
-
Similar to
-
Used for
-
Keywords
还是 (háishì) is used in Chinese to provide options in a question. This is equivalent to one use of "or" in English.
Contents
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 ？ 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?
- 地铁 还是 出租车？Subway or taxi?
- 冰 的 还是 热 的？Cold or hot?
- 辣 的 还是 不 辣 的？Spicy or not spicy?
- 鸡肉 还是 牛肉？Chicken or beef?
- 拿铁 还是 摩卡？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 ？ 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 British?
- 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 (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
- 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) (p. 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
