Either… or…

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

or或者huò zhě … ，or或者huò zhě … (either … or …)

Either day works

• Your manager asks when you can meet the client.
• or或者huò zhěTuesday星期二xīng qī èr，or或者huò zhěThursday星期四xīng qī sì，I / me我wǒall / both都dōuto have time (to do sth)有空yǒu kòng。 – "Either Tuesday or Thursday – I'm free on both."

or或者huò zhě A，or或者huò zhě B = either A or B (statements)

• or或者huò zhě…or或者huò zhě… lists alternatives in a statement or suggestion; any of them is acceptable.
• It can join nouns, verbs or clauses: or或者huò zhěyou你nǐto come来lái，or或者huò zhěI / me我wǒto go去qù.

either或者huò zhěyou你nǐcome来lái，or或者huò zhěI我wǒgo去qù，all都dōufine行xíng。

Habits and options

• weekend周末zhōu mòI / me我wǒor或者huò zhěto read看书kàn shū，or或者huò zhěto go去qùswimming游泳yóu yǒng。 – "At weekends I either read or go swimming."
• you你nǐcan / may可以kě yǐor或者huò zhěto make a telephone call打电话dǎ diàn huà，or或者huò zhě发邮件fā yóu jiàn。 – "You can either phone or send an email."

at weekends周末zhōu mòI我wǒeither或者huò zhěread看书kàn shū，or或者huò zhěgo去qùswimming游泳yóu yǒng。

Not for questions

• Questions use or / still还是hái shì: you你nǐto drink tea喝茶hē cháor / still还是hái shìcoffee (loanword)咖啡kā fēi？, not you你nǐor或者huò zhěto drink tea喝茶hē cháor或者huò zhě喝咖啡hē kā fēi？
• When only one is true (not a free choice), prefer no不是bú shì…exactly就是jiù shì…: he / him他tāno不是bú shìto be at home在家zài jiā，exactly就是jiù shìat / in在zàicompany公司gōng sī.

or或者huò zhě…or或者huò zhě… versus or要么yào me…or要么yào me…

• or要么yào me…or要么yào me… also means either … or …, sounding firmer, often an ultimatum: or要么yào menow现在xiàn zàito walk走zǒu，or要么yào medon't别biéto walk走zǒu.
• or或者huò zhě…or或者huò zhě… sounds open and relaxed.

either要么yào menow现在xiàn zàigo走zǒu，or要么yào medon't别biégo走zǒu。

Recap

• or或者huò zhě A，or或者huò zhě B = either A or B (open options, statements).
• Questions: or / still还是hái shì; firm ultimatum: or要么yào me…or要么yào me…; one of two facts: no不是bú shì…exactly就是jiù shì….

Practise this pattern step by step.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

or或者huò zhě … ，or或者huò zhě … (either … or …)

2201.1 Complete: “Either you come or I go – either is fine.” or或者huò zhěyou你nǐto come来lái，…………I / me我wǒto go去qù，都行dōu xíng。

2201.2 Which is a question?

• A. or要么yào meto drink tea喝茶hē chá，or要么yào me喝咖啡hē kā fēi。
• B. you你nǐto drink tea喝茶hē cháor / still还是hái shì喝咖啡hē kā fēi？
• C. no不是bú shìto drink tea喝茶hē chá，exactly就是jiù shì喝咖啡hē kā fēi。
• D. or或者huò zhěto drink tea喝茶hē chá，or或者huò zhě喝咖啡hē kā fēi。

2201.3 Build: “At weekends I either read or go swimming.”

Arrange all chunks: ，or或者huò zhě / or或者huò zhěto read看书kàn shū / weekend周末zhōu mòI / me我wǒ / to go去qùswimming游泳yóu yǒng。

2201.4 or要么yào me…or要么yào me… can sound like an ultimatum.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

2201.5 Your manager asks when you can meet the client. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A notice offers or或者huò zhěSaturday周六zhōu liù，or或者huò zhěSunday周日zhōu rì. A learner assumes both days are required. What does the wording leave open?

R2. Use it yourself. Offer a partner two ways to send a document, then ask which they prefer.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.