Choice Questions with 还是
还是 (háishi) joins two options in a question, A 还是 B, and means 'or' when the speaker wants one of them picked. 或者 also means 'or' but belongs in statements, not questions.
- 你喝茶还是喝水？(Do you drink tea or water?)
- 他是老师还是学生？(Is he a teacher or a student?)
Answer by choosing one option: 我喝茶。
还是 vs 或者:
- 还是 = "or" in questions only
- 或者 = "or" in statements only
✅ 你去还是不去？(Question)
✅ 你或者他去。(Statement — you or he goes.)
❌ 你去或者不去？(Wrong — 或者 can't form choice questions)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你吃饭还是吃面？ | Nǐ chī fàn hái shì chī miàn? | Do you eat rice or noodles? | 还是 connects two verb phrases to offer a choice |
| 那是你的书还是他的书？ | Nà shì nǐ de shū hái shì tā de shū? | Is that your book or his book? | 还是 between two noun phrases inside a 是 sentence |
| 我或者你去都可以。 | Wǒ huò zhě nǐ qù dōu kě yǐ. | Either I or you going is fine. | 或者 used in a statement, not a question |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
还是 (hái shi)
Joins two options in a question and asks the listener to pick one.
Structure: A 还是 B？
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你想喝茶还是喝咖啡？ | Nǐ xiǎng hē chá hái shi hē kā fēi? | Do you want tea or coffee? |
| 我们今天去还是明天去？ | Wǒ men jīn tiān qù hái shi míng tiān qù? | Are we going today or tomorrow? |
| 她是中国人还是日本人？ | Tā shì Zhōng guó rén hái shi Rì běn rén? | Is she Chinese or Japanese? |
Not: 你喝茶还是喝水吗？ A 还是 question already asks, so it does not take 吗.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, adverbs (语气副词); level 2, conjunctions (连接分句或者句子).
还是 is also explained in: 尽管…还是/仍然…: despite that (HSK 4).
或者 (huò zhě)
Means 'or' in a statement, offering options rather than asking a question.
Structure: A 或者 B
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你可以坐地铁或者坐公共汽车。 | Nǐ kě yǐ zuò dì tiě huò zhě zuò gōng gòng qì chē. | You can take the subway or the bus. |
| 周六或者周日我有时间。 | Zhōu liù huò zhě zhōu rì wǒ yǒu shí jiān. | I have time on Saturday or Sunday. |
| 我想喝茶或者咖啡。 | Wǒ xiǎng hē chá huò zhě kā fēi. | I'd like tea or coffee. |
Not: 你喝茶或者咖啡？ Use 还是 to ask 'A or B?'; 或者 is for statements.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, conjunctions (连接词或者短语).
或者 is also explained in: Conjunctions: 或者、不过、但是、而且、如果、虽然、只要 (HSK 2).
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
Questions about Choice Questions with 还是
What does 选择问句 (Choice Questions with 还是) mean in Chinese?
还是 (háishi) joins two options in a question, A 还是 B, and means 'or' when the speaker wants one of them picked. 或者 also means 'or' but belongs in statements, not questions. It is an HSK 1 grammar point.
How do you use 选择问句 (Choice Questions with 还是) in a sentence?
你吃饭还是吃面？ — Nǐ chī fàn hái shì chī miàn? — Do you eat rice or noodles?. 还是 connects two verb phrases to offer a choice.
What do you need to know before 选择问句 (Choice Questions with 还是)?
Yes/No Questions with 吗 (HSK 1). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
When do I use 还是 and when 或者?
还是 is for questions, as in 你去还是我去？ 或者 is for statements, as in 你或者我去。
Does a 还是 question need 吗?
No. Giving two options already makes it a question, so 你喝茶还是咖啡？ is complete.
Choice Questions with 还是 is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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