Comparing similar conjunctions

• 21 Comparing similar conjunctions

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  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 / still还是hái shì vs or或者huò zhě (or: question vs statement)

  Asking or offering?

  • A waiter asks, "Rice or noodles?" You answer, "Either is fine."
  • (cooked) rice米饭mǐ fànor / still还是hái shìnoodles面条miàn tiáo？——(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fànor或者huò zhěnoodles面条miàn tiáoall / both都dōucan / may可以kě yǐ。 — "Rice or noodles? — Rice or noodles, either is fine."

  or / still还是hái shì asks, or或者huò zhě states

  • or / still还是hái shì = "or" in a question that asks someone to choose: you你nǐto drink tea喝茶hē cháor / still还是hái shìcoffee (loanword)咖啡kā fēi？
  • or或者huò zhě = "or" in a statement or suggestion: you你nǐcan / may可以kě yǐto drink tea喝茶hē cháor或者huò zhěcoffee (loanword)咖啡kā fēi.

  you你nǐcan可以kě yǐdrink喝hētea茶cháor或者huò zhěcoffee咖啡kā fēi。

  

  Hidden questions

  • After not不bùto know知道zhī dào, want / think / miss想xiǎngto know知道zhī dào or to decide (to do something)决定jué dìng, use or / still还是hái shì: I / me我wǒnot不bùto know知道zhī dàohe / him他tāto go去qùor / still还是hái shì不去bù qù。 — "I don't know whether he's going or not."
  • I / me我wǒstill / also还háinot / haven't没méito decide (to do something)决定jué dìngto go去qùBeijing, capital of the…北京běi jīngor / still还是hái shìto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi。 — "I haven't decided whether to go to Beijing or Shanghai."

  I我wǒstill还háihaven't没méidecided决定jué dìnggo to去qùBeijing北京Běi jīngor还是hái shigo to去qùShanghai上海Shàng hǎi。

  The quick test

  • Is someone being asked to choose (even indirectly)? Use or / still还是hái shì. Is a possibility being offered? Use or或者huò zhě.
  • Never add (yes/no ?)吗ma to a or / still还是hái shì question: you你nǐto go去qùor / still还是hái shì不去bù qù？, not you你nǐto go去qùor / still还是hái shì不去bù qù(yes/no ?)吗ma？

  or / still还是hái shì = had better

  • or / still还是hái shì also means "had better", with no choice involved: 太晚tài wǎn(completed / change)了le，we / us我们wǒ menor / still还是hái shì回家吧huí jiā ba。 — "It's late; we'd better go home."
  • Read the context: two options to choose from, or a recommendation?

  too太tàilate晚wǎn了le，we我们wǒ menhad better还是hái shigo home回家huí jiā吧ba。

  Recap

  • or / still还是hái shì = or in direct and hidden questions (not不bùto know知道zhī dào A or / still还是hái shì B); or或者huò zhě = or in statements.
  • or / still还是hái shì + suggestion = had better.

  Practise this pattern step by step.

  Practice without the models

  or / still还是hái shì vs or或者huò zhě (or: question vs statement)

  0715.1 Suggest: “We can take the bus or walk.” we / us我们wǒ mencan / may可以kě yǐto sit坐zuòpublic transport vehicle公交车gōng jiāo chē…………to walk走路zǒu lù。

  0715.2 Which fits? I / me我wǒnot不bùto know知道zhī dàohe / him他tāto be / is是shìteacher老师lǎo shī____student学生xué shēng。

  • A. and / with和hé
  • B. moreover而且ér qiě
  • C. or / still还是hái shì
  • D. or或者huò zhě

  0715.3 Match each sentence to what or / still还是hái shì / or或者huò zhě does.

  • 1. you你nǐto go去qùor / still还是hái shìI / me我wǒto go去qù？
  • 2. you你nǐto go去qùor或者huò zhěI / me我wǒto go去qù都行dōu xíng。
  • 3. we / us我们wǒ menor / still还是hái shìto walk走zǒu(suggestion)吧ba。

  • A. asks someone to choose

  • B. had better

  • C. offers either option

  0715.4 you你nǐto go去qùor / still还是hái shì不去bù qù(yes/no ?)吗ma？ is correct.

  True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

  0715.5 A waiter asks, "Rice or noodles?" You answer, "Either is fine." 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.

  Answers and explanations

  or / still还是hái shì vs or或者huò zhě (or: question vs statement)

  0715.1 or或者huò zhě

  A statement offering options uses or或者huò zhě.

  0715.2 C. or / still还是hái shì

  After not不bùto know知道zhī dào, the hidden question takes or / still还是hái shì.

  0715.3 1–A: you你nǐto go去qùor / still还是hái shìI / me我wǒto go去qù？ = asks someone to choose; 2–C: you你nǐto go去qùor或者huò zhěI / me我wǒto go去qù都行dōu xíng。 = offers either option; 3–B: we / us我们wǒ menor / still还是hái shìto walk走zǒu(suggestion)吧ba。 = had better

  or / still还是hái shì asks or recommends; or或者huò zhě states options.

  0715.4 False.

  A or / still还是hái shì question takes no (yes/no ?)吗ma.

  0715.5 One possible response: (cooked) rice米饭mǐ fànor / still还是hái shìnoodles面条miàn tiáo？––(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fànor或者huò zhěnoodles面条miàn tiáoall / both都dōucan / may可以kě yǐ。

  Check meaning and form:

  • My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
  • I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
  • Is someone being asked to choose (even indirectly)? Use or / still还是hái shì. Is a possibility being offered? Use or或者huò zhě.
  • Never add (yes/no ?)吗ma to a or / still还是hái shì question: you你nǐto go去qùor / still还是hái shì不去bù qù？, not you你nǐto go去qùor / still还是hái shì不去bù qù(yes/no ?)吗ma？
  • I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.

  This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.

All topics · HSK 3 Grammar