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 … ，or或者 … (either … or …)
Either day works
- Your manager asks when you can meet the client.
- or或者Tuesday星期二，or或者Thursday星期四，I / me我all / both都to have time (to do sth)有空。 — "Either Tuesday or Thursday — I'm free on both."
or或者 A，or或者 B = either A or B (statements)
- or或者…or或者… lists alternatives in a statement or suggestion; any of them is acceptable.
- It can join nouns, verbs or clauses: or或者you你to come来，or或者I / me我to go去.
either或者you你come来，or或者I我go去，all都fine行。
Habits and options
- weekend周末I / me我or或者to read看书，or或者to go去swimming游泳。 — "At weekends I either read or go swimming."
- you你can / may可以or或者to make a telephone call打电话，or或者发邮件。 — "You can either phone or send an email."
at weekends周末I我either或者read看书，or或者go去swimming游泳。
Not for questions
- Questions use or / still还是: you你to drink tea喝茶or / still还是coffee (loanword)咖啡？, not you你or或者to drink tea喝茶or或者喝咖啡？
- When only one is true (not a free choice), prefer no不是…exactly就是…: he / him他no不是to be at home在家，exactly就是at / in在company公司.
or或者…or或者… versus or要么…or要么…
- or要么…or要么… also means either … or …, sounding firmer, often an ultimatum: or要么now现在to walk走，or要么don't别to walk走.
- or或者…or或者… sounds open and relaxed.
either要么now现在go走，or要么don't别go走。
Recap
- or或者 A，or或者 B = either A or B (open options, statements).
- Questions: or / still还是; firm ultimatum: or要么…or要么…; one of two facts: no不是…exactly就是….
Practise this pattern step by step.
Practice without the models
or或者 … ，or或者 … (either … or …)
2201.1 Complete: “Either you come or I go – either is fine.” or或者you你to come来，…………I / me我to go去，都行。
2201.2 Which is a question?
- A. or要么to drink tea喝茶，or要么喝咖啡。
- B. you你to drink tea喝茶or / still还是喝咖啡？
- C. no不是to drink tea喝茶，exactly就是喝咖啡。
- D. or或者to drink tea喝茶，or或者喝咖啡。
2201.3 Build: “At weekends I either read or go swimming.”
Arrange all chunks: ，or或者 / or或者to read看书 / weekend周末I / me我 / to go去swimming游泳。
2201.4 or要么…or要么… 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.
Answers and explanations
or或者 … ，or或者 … (either … or …)
2201.1 or或者
or或者…or或者….
2201.2 B. you你to drink tea喝茶or / still还是喝咖啡？
Questions with “or” use or / still还是.
2201.3 weekend周末I / me我or或者to read看书，or或者to go去swimming游泳。
or或者 A，or或者 B.
2201.4 True.
It is firmer than or或者…or或者….
2201.5 One possible response: or或者Tuesday星期二，or或者Thursday星期四，I / me我all / both都to have time (to do sth)有空。
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.
- Questions use or / still还是: you你to drink tea喝茶or / still还是coffee (loanword)咖啡？, not you你or或者to drink tea喝茶or或者喝咖啡？
- When only one is true (not a free choice), prefer no不是…exactly就是…: he / him他no不是to be at home在家，exactly就是at / in在company公司.
- 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.