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

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One of the ways to use 还是 (háishì) is to have it mean "you had better," after having compared two options. Usually there's even a bit of deliberation before the speaker announces what "it would be better" to do, using 还是.
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 ==
 
== Structure ==
  
还是 as an [[adverbs|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.
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还是 as an [[adverbs|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.
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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Subj. + 还是 + [Verb Phrase] + 吧
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</div>
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吧 is often placed after this structure, [[Softening speech with "ba"|as it's a suggestion]].
  
Subject + 还是 + Action + (吧)
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== Examples ==
  
</div>
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<div class="liju">
  
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*<em>还是</em> 明天 去 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háishì</em> míngtiān qù ba.</span><span class="trans">We'd better go tomorrow.</span>
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*<em>还是</em> 让 她 进来 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háishì</em> ràng tā jìnlái ba.</span><span class="trans">We'd better let her come in.</span>
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*你 <em>还是</em> 快点 走 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>háishì</em> kuài diǎn zǒu ba.</span><span class="trans">You'd better leave now.</span>
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*我们 <em>还是</em> 帮帮 他 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em> háishì</em> bāngbang tā ba.</span><span class="trans">We'd better help him.</span>
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*太 晚 了 ,<em>还是</em> 先 回家 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Tài wǎn le, <em>háishì</em> xiān huíjiā ba.</span><span class="trans">It's too late. We'd better go home now.</span>
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*这里 太 脏 了,我们 <em>还是</em> 走 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ tài zāng le, wǒmen <em>háishì</em> zǒu ba.</span><span class="trans">It's too dirty here; we'd better leave.</span>
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*快 迟到 了 ,我们 <em>还是</em> 打车 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Kuài chídào le, wǒmen <em>háishì</em> dǎchē ba.</span><span class="trans">We're running late. Let's take a taxi.</span>
  
吧 is often placed after this structure, [[Softening speech with "ba"|as it's a suggestion]].
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</div>
  
== Examples ==
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When the part after 还是 is a negative verb phrase, it's OK to drop the 吧 at the end.
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 你 不 会, <em>还是</em> 我 做 吧。<span class="trans">You can't, I had better do it.</span>
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*太 贵 了 ,<em>还是</em> 别 买 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tài guì le, <em>háishì</em> bié mǎi le.</span><span class="trans">It's too expensive. You'd better not buy it.</span>
* 我 饿 了,我们 <em>还是</em> 先 吃饭 吧。<span class="trans">I'm hungry, we had better eat first.</span>
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*她 不 想 说 ,<em>还是</em> 不要 再 问 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā bù xiǎng shuō, <em>háishì</em> bùyào zài wèn le.</span><span class="trans">She doesn't want to say. We'd better not ask again.</span>
* 这里 太 脏 了, 我们 <em>还是</em> 走 吧。<span class="trans">It's too dirty here. We'd better go.</span>
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*他 一定 不 同意 ,<em>还是</em> 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā yīdìng bù tóngyì, <em>háishì</em> bié gēn tā shuō le.</span><span class="trans">He will definitely not agree to it. We'd better not say anything to him.</span>
* <em>还是</em> 现在 就 吧。<span class="trans">You'd better talk with me now.</span>
 
* 你 病 了 这么 长 时间,<em>还是</em> 去 医院 吧。<span class="trans">I've been sick for a long time. I'd better go to the doctor.</span>
 
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
==See also==
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== See also ==
  
 
* [[Offering choices with haishi]]
 
* [[Offering choices with haishi]]
 
* [["Yinggai" for should]]
 
* [["Yinggai" for should]]
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* [[Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"]]
  
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
== Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 144) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
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{{Source|Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition|144}}
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 259-60) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)|259-60}}
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (pp. 103) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913192 →buy]
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)|103}}
*[[卓越汉语-公司实战篇]] (p. 211) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E5%8D%93%E8%B6%8A%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD-%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E5%AE%9E%E6%88%98%E7%AF%87-%E8%83%A1%E7%81%B5%E5%9D%87/dp/B003QZWQ6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347863170&sr=8-1 →buy]
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{{Source|卓越汉语-公司实战篇|211}}
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category: Adverbs]]
 
[[Category: Adverbs]]
  
{{Basic Grammar|还是|B1|还是 + V|我们 <em>还是</em> 先 吃饭 吧。|grammar point|ASGWAR65}}
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{{Basic Grammar|还是|B1|还是 + Verb|我们 <em>还是</em> 先 吃饭 吧。|grammar point|ASGWAR65}}
 
{{Rel char|还}}
 
{{Rel char|还}}
 
{{Rel char|是}}
 
{{Rel char|是}}
 
{{Rel char|吧}}
 
{{Rel char|吧}}
 
{{Similar|"Yinggai" for should}}
 
{{Similar|"Yinggai" for should}}
{{Similar|Comparing "haishi" and "huozhe"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "had better" with "zuihao"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"}}
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{{Used for|Expressing quality}}
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{{Used for|Expressing obligations}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}
{{Used for| Expressing quality}}
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{{Translation|had better}}
{{Used for| Expressing obligations}}
 
{{Similar|"Yinggai" for should}}
 

Latest revision as of 07:55, 26 November 2018

One of the ways to use 还是 (háishì) is to have it mean "you had better," after having compared two options. Usually there's even a bit of deliberation before the speaker announces what "it would be better" to do, using 还是.

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.

Subj. + 还是 + [Verb Phrase] + 吧

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

Examples

  • 还是 明天 去 吧 。Háishì míngtiān qù ba.We'd better go tomorrow.
  • 还是 让 她 进来 吧 。Háishì ràng tā jìnlái ba.We'd better let her come in.
  • 还是 快点 走 吧 。háishì kuài diǎn zǒu ba.You'd better leave now.
  • 我们 还是 帮帮 他 吧 。Wǒmen háishì bāngbang tā ba.We'd better help him.
  • 太 晚 了 ,还是 先 回家 吧 。Tài wǎn le, háishì xiān huíjiā ba.It's too late. We'd better go home now.
  • 这里 太 脏 了,我们 还是 走 吧 。Zhèlǐ tài zāng le, wǒmen háishì zǒu ba.It's too dirty here; we'd better leave.
  • 快 迟到 了 ,我们 还是 打车 吧 。Kuài chídào le, wǒmen háishì dǎchē ba.We're running late. Let's take a taxi.

When the part after 还是 is a negative verb phrase, it's OK to drop the 吧 at the end.

  • 太 贵 了 ,还是 别 买 了 。Tài guì le, háishì bié mǎi le.It's too expensive. You'd better not buy it.
  • 她 不 想 说 ,还是 不要 再 问 了 。Tā bù xiǎng shuō, háishì bùyào zài wèn le.She doesn't want to say. We'd better not ask again.
  • 他 一定 不 同意 ,还是 别 跟 他 说 了 。Tā yīdìng bù tóngyì, háishì bié gēn tā shuō le.He will definitely not agree to it. We'd better not say anything to him.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK4