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A 还是 B? (or — in questions)
IntroducedYour saved position stays in this browser. Resuming does not complete the lesson or answer its questions.
Tea or coffee?
- A waiter asks what you would like to drink.
- you (polite)您to drink tea喝茶or还是喝咖啡？ — "Would you like tea or coffee?"
A or还是 B？ (choice question)
- A or还是 B? asks someone to choose; no (yes/no ?)吗 is needed.
- It can join nouns, verbs or clauses: you你today今天go去or还是tomorrow明天go去？
you你today今天go去or还是tomorrow明天go去？
Ask: “Are you going today or tomorrow?” 你今天去____明天去？
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还是 joins the choices in a question.
are是…or还是…
- With are是: you你are是a teacher老师or还是a student学生？ — "Are you a teacher or a student?"
- we / us我们坐地铁or还是to take a taxi (in town)打车？ — "Shall we take the subway or a taxi?"
you你are是a teacher老师or还是a student学生？
Build: “Shall we take the subway or a taxi?”
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A 还是 B?
No (yes/no ?)吗 with or还是
- or还是 already makes a question: you你to drink tea喝茶or还是coffee (loanword)咖啡？, not you你to drink tea喝茶or还是coffee (loanword)咖啡(yes/no ?)吗？
- In a statement, "or" is or或者: tea茶or或者coffee (loanword)咖啡all / both都can / may可以.
Which question is correct?
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还是 questions take no 吗.
or还是 in "I don't know whether …"
- After don't不know知道 or to decide (to do something)决定, or还是 keeps its "whether … or" meaning: I我don't不know知道he他comes来or还是don't不comes来。 — "I don't know whether he's coming or not."
- or还是 can also mean "had better": or还是to walk走(suggestion)吧 — "We'd better go."
I我don't不know知道he他comes来or还是not不come来。
我不知道他来还是不来 is correct.
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After 不知道, 还是 means “whether … or”.
Recap
- A or还是 B？ = A or B? (a choice question, no (yes/no ?)吗).
- In statements use or或者; don't不know知道 A or还是 B = don't know whether A or B.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Conjunctions.
A waiter asks what you would like to drink. 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.
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.