Kilo Lingo

Mandarin · Chapter 11 · Lesson 9 · Common mistake

还是 or 或者?

Mandarin has two words for or, and the question decides which.

The rule

还是 (hai2-shi4) is the or you use in a QUESTION. huo4-zhe3 或者 is the or you use in a STATEMENT. English uses one word for both, so this is pure Mandarin bookkeeping and it has to be learned as such.

Pick the right one

0/6

Pick the right one: 还是 or 或者.

  1. 你去他去？ (are you going or is he?)

    nǐ qù ___ tā qù ？ (are you going or is he?)

  2. 我他去都可以。 (either of us going is fine)

    wǒ ___ tā qù dōu kě yǐ 。 (either of us going is fine)

  3. 今天明天？ (today or tomorrow?)

    jīn tiān ___ míng tiān ？ (today or tomorrow?)

  4. 今天明天都可以。 (today or tomorrow both work)

    jīn tiān ___ míng tiān dōu kě yǐ 。 (today or tomorrow both work)

  5. 他是老师学生？ (is he a teacher or a student?)

    tā shì lǎo shī ___ xué shēng ？ (is he a teacher or a student?)

  6. 我他会去。 (either I or he will go)

    wǒ ___ tā huì qù 。 (either I or he will go)