Expressing "or" in statements

In English, "or" can be used in the sense of having a choice (Chicken or beef?), and as an "either or" statement (it doesn't matter if you're black or white). In Chinese, 或者(huòzhě) is used for the latter.

Structure

Whilst 还是 is used for "or" in questions, 或者 is used for "or" in statements.

Possibility 1 + 或者 + Possibility 2

Examples

• 我 想 去 青岛 或者 南京。I want to go to Qingdao or Nanjing.
• 你 去 或者 我 去，都 可以。You go or I go, either way is fine.
• 晚上 的 时候，我 一般 喜欢 喝 啤酒 或者 葡萄酒。Usually I prefer some beer or red wine in the evening.
• 周末的时候，我喜欢做做饭或者看看电影。During the weekend, I like to cook or watch movies.
• 今天晚上我想吃比萨或者汉堡。Tonight I want to eat pizza or hamburgers.
• 下个月我打算去杭州或者苏州旅行。Next month I plan to go to Hangzhou or Suzhou to travel.
• 圣诞节我们回美国或者留在中国。This Christmas we are returning to America or staying in China.
• 晚饭以后我喜欢和家人聊聊天或者喝喝茶。After dinner I like to chat or drink tea with my family.
• 他不喜欢抽烟或者喝酒。 He doesn't like smoking or drinking.
• 你可以用手机或者电脑来查生词。You can use either a cellphone or computer to look up those new words.

See also

• Offering choices with haishi
• Providing two options with double "huozhe" (advanced article)

Sources and further reading

Books

• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 74-5) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 257-8) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 239-40) →buy

Websites

• East Asia Student: The difference between 还是 and 或者