Expressing "or" in statements

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In English, "or" can be used to connect words when offering or considering choices ("do you want chicken or beef?"). It can also be used as an "or" statement ("it doesn't matter if we eat chicken or beef"), in Chinese, this is what 或者 (huòzhě) is used for.

Structure

While 还是 (háishì) is used for "or" in questions, 或者 (huòzhě) is used for "or" in statements.

Possibility 1 + 或者 + Possibility 2

Examples

  • 我 喝 咖啡 或者 ,都 行。Wǒ hē kāfēi huòzhě chá, dōu xíng.I drink coffee or tea. Either is OK.
  • 星期六 或者 星期天 , 都 可以 。 Xīngqīliù huòzhě Xīngqītiān, dōu kěyǐ.Saturday or Sunday are both OK.
  • 今天 晚上 我 想 吃 披萨 或者 寿司 Jīntiān wǎnshang wǒ xiǎng chī pīsà huòzhě shòusī.Tonight I would like to eat pizza or sushi.
  • 周末 的 时候,我 喜欢 在 家 做饭 或者 看 电影Zhōumò de shíhou, wǒ xǐhuan zài jiā zuòfàn huòzhě kàn diànyǐng.During the weekend, I like to cook or watch movies at home.
  • 你 去 或者 她 去 ,都 可以 。Nǐ qù huòzhě tā qù, dōu kěyǐ. You go or she goes, either way is fine.
  • 下班 以后 我 去 你 家 或者 你 来 我 家 , 都 可以。Xiàbān yǐhòu wǒ qù nǐ jiā huòzhě nǐ lái wǒ jiā, dōu kěyǐ.After work I will go to your house, or you can come to my house, either way is fine.
  • 下 个 月 我 打算 去 杭州 或者 苏州 旅行。Xià gè yuè wǒ dǎsuàn qù Hángzhōu huòzhě Sūzhōu lǚxíng.Next month I plan to go to Hangzhou or Suzhou to travel.
  • 我们 可以 坐 飞机 或者 坐 高铁 去。Wǒmen kěyǐ zuò fēijī huòzhě zuò gāotiě qù.We can go by plane or by high-speed train.
  • 晚饭 以后 我 和 家人 聊天 或者 看 电视Wǎnfàn yǐhòu wǒ hé jiārén liáotiān huòzhě kàn diànshì.After dinner I chat with or watch TV with my family.
  • 你 可以 用 手机 或者 电脑 上网。Nǐ kěyǐ yòng shǒujī huòzhě diànnǎo shàngwǎng.You can use either a cell phone or computer to go online.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books