Ch 23 · Lesson 18Mandarin · Chapter 23 · Lesson 18 · Grammar primer
前者 and 后者, 或者 and 再者
and are the former and the latter, for two things just named. is the everyday or of statements, and (what's more) belongs in an essay.
The short version
，。Zhè liǎng ge bànfǎ dōu xíng, wǒ xuǎn hòuzhě.
Why?Hide
For two things just mentioned, (qiánzhě) is the first and (hòuzhě) the second, exactly like English 'the former' and 'the latter'. They pick between two only, and (hòuzhě) has nothing to do with (yǐhòu), afterwards.
前者 (qiánzhě) and 后者 (hòuzhě): the former and the latter
Here (zhě) names an item rather than a person. (qián) and (hòu) are positions in what was just said:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| qiánzhě | the former (first of two) |
| hòuzhě | the latter (second of two) |
| liǎngzhě | both, the two of them |
，。(Chá hé kāfēi, wǒ gèng xǐhuan qiánzhě.) - Of tea and coffee, I prefer the former.，。(Zhè liǎng ge bànfǎ dōu xíng, wǒ xuǎn hòuzhě.) - Both methods work; I'll go for the latter.
Like English, they pick between two only. And (hòuzhě) has nothing to do with time: "afterwards" is (yǐhòu).
或者 (huòzhě) and 再者 (zàizhě): 者 frozen in
Two more words carry (zhě) with no person left in it:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Nǐ kěyǐ hē chá huòzhě kāfēi. | You can have tea or coffee |
。 | Míngtiān huòzhě hòutiān dōu kěyǐ. | Tomorrow or the day after is fine |
，。 | Zàizhě, zhège bànfǎ tài guì le. | What's more, this method is too dear |
(huòzhě) is the everyday "or" of statements. To ask someone to choose, use (háishi): ？ (Nǐ hē chá háishi kāfēi?) (zàizhě), what's more, is mostly written: an essay word.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| | (chī zhě) is not a word: say it with (de rén) |
| | (zhě) already means the person |
？ | ？ | to ask which: (háishi) |
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