Difference between revisions of "Offering choices with "haishi""
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When you're asked a question of this form, you've only got two possible ways to answer: Option A or Option B.  (Pick one, but not both.)
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When you're asked a question of this form, there are two ways you're expected to answer: either Option A or Option B.  (Pick one, but not both.) It's not that no other answers are possible, it's that usually when you're asked a question this way, the person asking expects you to just choose one.  For example, if asked if you'd like to drink coffee or tea, most people are going to choose one or the other, not ask for both. 还是 is used to ask people to make that choice between the two.
  
 
You can then put this into all kinds of questions with the following structure:
 
You can then put this into all kinds of questions with the following structure:

Revision as of 06:30, 9 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.

Structure

Option A + 还是 + Option B ?

When you're asked a question of this form, there are two ways you're expected to answer: either Option A or Option B. (Pick one, but not both.) It's not that no other answers are possible, it's that usually when you're asked a question this way, the person asking expects you to just choose one. For example, if asked if you'd like to drink coffee or tea, most people are going to choose one or the other, not ask for both. 还是 is used to ask people to make that choice between the two.

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

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

Examples

  • 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 普通话 还是 广东话 ？ (The expected answer is one or the other, noth "both")Can you speak Mandarin or Cantonese?
  • 你 家 有 小狗 还是 小猫 ？ (The expected answer is one or the other, noth "both")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).

See also

Sources and Further Reading

Books

Websites

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