Comparing "haishi" and "huozhe"

Both 还是 (háishì) and 或者 (huòzhě) mean “or” and are used to present a choice. However, 还是 is normally used when asking a question, and 或者 is mostly for declarative sentences.

还是 is used to offer choices in a question

When asking a question, 还是 can be used to provide choices or options.

Structure

This grammar pattern is fairly flexible. You can create all kinds of questions with 还是 using the following structure.

Subj. + Verb + Option A + 还是 + Option B

Examples

• 她 喜欢 你 还是 他 ?Does she like you or him?
• 你 喝 茶 还是 喝 咖啡 ?Do you drink tea or coffee?
• 你 中午 出去 吃 还是 叫 外卖 ?Are you going out for lunch or order take-out?
• 我们 打车 或者 坐 地铁? Since it is a question, it should use "还是"
• 你 的 中文 老师 姓 王 或者 姓 李? Since it is a question, it should use "还是"

或者 is used to give options in declarative sentences

或者 is used in declarative sentences in which options are presented.

Structure

Option 1 + 或者 + Option 2

The structure for 或者 and 还是 is the same, but the meaning, as well as the context in which 或者 is needed, is different. 或者 drops the "A or B, PICK ONE" atttitude in favor of a more open, "maybe A, perhaps B... (or maybe both or neither?)" So it's less exclusive and less demanding of a choice RIGHT NOW.

Examples

• 明天 或者 后天，我 要 和 我 的 朋友 见面。Either tomorrow or the day after, I want to see my friends.
• 今天 中午 我 吃 三明治 或者 汉堡。Today at noon, I will eat a sandwich or a hamburger.
• 今天 晚上 我 要 看 书 还是 听 音乐。Since it's declarative, it uses "或者"

还是 is used for questions that are embedded in sentences

Deciding whether or not to use 还是 becomes difficult with sentences that contain statements like “I don’t know,” “I want to know,” “I’m not sure,” etc. Alone, these statements are not technically questions. However, when used in a sentence that contains choices, these statements imply that a question must be answered. Therefore, you must use 还是.

Examples

• 我 不 知道 这本书 是 他的 还是 我的。I don't know if this book is his or mine.
• 我 要 知道 他 去 食堂 还是 去饭店 吃饭。I want to know if he went to the cafeteria or a restaurant to eat.
• 我 不 知道 我 现在 就 吃饭 还是 等 他们 一起 吃饭。I don't know if I should eat now or wait for them and eat together.
• 老板 现在 还 不 确定 是 这 个 周 出差 或者 下 个 周。It's an embedded question, so it should use "还是"
• 我 不 知道 他 要不要 看电影 或者 听 音乐。It's an embedded question, so it should use "还是"

还是 is used to indicate a preferred course of action

Structure

还是 can also be used to express the English words "ought to" or "had better". The use of 还是 implies that the there were originally two options and the speaker has decided on one. In this grammar structure, 还是 often comes before the verb and sometimes before the subject. 吧 is often placed at the end of the statement to emphasize that it is a suggestion.

Examples

• 今天 晚上 我 太忙了，不可以 去 酒吧。我 还是 做 作业 吧。I'm extremely busy tonight, so I can't go to the bar. I'd better do my homework.
• 我 听说 这部电影 不好看，我们 还是 看 其他的 吧。I heard this movie wasn't good. We should watch another one.
• 今天 的 作业 特别 难，我们 还是 问 老师 吧。Today's homework is especially hard. We had better ask the teacher.
• 我 困死了，或者 回家 睡觉 吧。"或者" isn't used for suggestions.
• 我 非常 无聊，我们 或者 出去玩 吧。"或者" isn't used for suggestions.

或者 can be repeated when providing options

Another easy way to use 或者 to give two options is to place 或者 before both options.

Structure

或者 A，或者 B

Almost anything can be placed after either 或者.

Examples

• 只 有 一 块 蛋糕，或者 你 吃 或者 我 吃。There's only one piece of cake. Either you eat it, or I do.
• 你 或者 学 汉语 ， 或者 学 法律，别的就别学了。Either study Chinese or law, don't study anything else.
• 咱们 还是 去 爬山 还是 泡温泉。It's declarative, so it uses "或者"

See Also

• "Or" in statements
• Providing two options with double "huozhe"
• Offering choices with "haishi"
• "Had better" with "haishi"

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
• 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
• 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) (pp. 179) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 206-7, 251) →buy
• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 238) →buy

Websites

• Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Comparing 还是 and 或者