Difference between revisions of "Offering choices with "haishi""

Revision as of 09:55, 3 September 2013

还是 (háishì) is used in Chinese to provide options in a question. This is equivalent to one use of "or" in English.

Option A + 还是 + Option B ?

You can then put this into all kinds of questions with the following structure:

Subject + Verb + Option A + 还是 + Option B ?

还是 questions
Subject	Verb	Option A	还是	Option B		Translation
你	要	茶	还是	咖啡	？	Do you want tea or coffee?
你	要	一个	还是	两个	？	Do you want one or two?
你	是	美国人	还是	英国人	？	Are you American or English?
他	是	医生	还是	老师	？	Is he a doctor or a teacher?
你	喜欢	啤酒	还是	葡萄酒	？	Do you like beer or wine?
你	喜欢	上海	还是	北京	？	Do you like Shanghai or Beijing?
你	喜欢	我	还是	我的钱	？	Do you like me or my money?
你	想吃	中国菜	还是	法国菜	？	Do you want to eat Chinese food or French food?
你	想去	香港	还是	泰国	？	Do you want to go to HongKong or Thailand?
这	是	水	还是	酒	？	Is this water or wine?
你	会说	中文	还是	英文	？	Can you speak Chinese or English?
你家	有	小狗	还是	小猫	？	Do you have a puppy or a kitty in your house?

Please note that 还是 is for offering options in a question. It should not be used for "or" in statements (see below).

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 | 你 || 喜欢 || 上海 || <em>还是</em> || 北京 || ？|| <span class="spaced">Do you like Shanghai or Beijing?</span>
 |-
-| 你 || 喜欢 || 我 || <em>还是</em> || 他 || ？|| <span class="spaced">Do you like me or him?</span>
+| 你 || 喜欢 || 我 || <em>还是</em> || 我 的 钱 || ？|| <span class="spaced">Do you like me or my money?</span>
 |-
 | 你 || 想吃 || 中国菜 || <em>还是</em> || 法国菜 || ？|| <span class="spaced">Do you want to eat Chinese food or French food?</span>
@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 |-
 | 你 || 会说 || 中文 || <em>还是</em> || 英文 || ？|| <span class="spaced">Can you speak Chinese or English?</span>
+|-
+| 你家 || 有 || 小狗 || <em>还是</em> || 小猫 || ？|| <span class="spaced">Do you have a puppy or a kitty in your house?</span>
 |-
 |}