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

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
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."
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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.
  
=== Structure ===
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== 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.
 
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">
 
 
Subj. + 还是 + [Verb Phrase] + 吧
 
Subj. + 还是 + [Verb Phrase] + 吧
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
吧 is often placed after this structure, [[Softening speech with "ba"|as it's a suggestion]].
 
吧 is often placed after this structure, [[Softening speech with "ba"|as it's a suggestion]].
  
=== Examples ===
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== Examples ==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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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>
 
*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>
*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 anything. We'd better stop asking.</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>
*他 一定 不 同意 ,<em>还是</em> 别 跟 他 说 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā yīdìng bù tóngyì, <em>háishì</em> bié gēn tā shuō le.</span><span class="trans">He will definitely disagree. We'd better not tell him.</span>
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*他 一定 不 同意 ,<em>还是</em> 别 跟 他 说 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>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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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]]
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{{Rel char|吧}}
 
{{Rel char|吧}}
 
{{Similar|"Yinggai" for should}}
 
{{Similar|"Yinggai" for should}}
{{Similar|Comparing "haishi" and "huozhe"}}
 
 
{{Similar|Expressing "had better" with "zuihao"}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "had better" with "zuihao"}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"}}
 
{{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