Expressing "had better" with "haishi"

One of the ways to use 还是 (háishì) is to have it mean "you had better," similar to how in English we may say "I think you had better start on your homework."

Structure

还是 as an adverb can express "had better" or "it would be better 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 usually comes before a verb or a subject.

Subject + 还是 + Action + (吧)

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

Examples

• 你 不 会， 还是 我 做 吧。Nǐ bù huì, háishì wǒ zuò ba.You don't know how; I had better do it.
• 我 饿 了，我们 还是 先 吃饭 吧。Wǒ èle, wǒmen háishì xiān chīfàn ba.I'm hungry; we had better eat first.
• 这里 太 脏 了， 我们 还是 走 吧。Zhèlǐ tài zàngle, wǒmen háishì zǒu ba.It's too dirty here; we'd better leave.
• 你 还是 现在 就 跟 我 说 吧。Nǐ háishì xiànzài jiù gēn wǒ shuō ba.You'd better talk with me now.
• 你 病 了 这么 长 时间，还是 去 医院 吧。Nǐ bìngle zhème cháng shíjiān,háishì qù yīyuàn ba.You've been sick for such a long time. You'd better go to the doctor.

See also

• Offering choices with haishi
• "Yinggai" for should

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
• 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (p. 211) →buy

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