- We have learnt 3 types of pattern to form a question:
- Today we are going to learn choosing between alternatives with either-or questions
- 还是 (hái shi ) is used to ask a listener to choose between two alternatives, only one of which can be true or possible. It conveys the sense of ‘either. . . or’. Questions pattern:
noun phrase/verb phrase/sentence + 还是 + noun phrase/verb phrase/sentence. - Question with noun phrase + 还是 + noun phrase.
1. Are you Japanese or Chinese? nǐ shì rì běn rén hái shi zhōng guó rén ? 你 是 日 本 人 还 是 中 国 人 ? noun phrase noun phrase you is Japanese or Chinese 2. Do you want to drink black tea or jasmine tea? nǐ yào hē hóng chá hái shi huā chá ? 你 要 喝 红 茶 还 是 花 茶 ? noun phrase noun phrase you want drink black tea or jasmine tea - Question with verb phrase + 还是 + verb phrase.
1. Do you want to have Chinese food or Western food? nǐ yào chī zhōng cān hái shi chī xī cān ? 你 要 吃 中 餐 还 是 吃 西 餐 ? verb phrase verb phrase you want eat Chinese food or eat Western food 2. Will you go there by bus or on foot? nǐ shì zuò chē qù hái shi zǒu lù qù ? 你 是 坐 车 去 还 是 走 路 去 ? verb phrase verb phrase you is go by bus or go on foot - Question with sentence + 还是 + sentence
1. Which do you think is more difficult: Chinese or Japanese? nǐ jué dé shì zhōng wén nán xué hái shi rì wén nán xué ? 你 觉 得 是 中 文 难 学 还 是 日 文 难 学 ? sentence sentence you feel is Chinese
Languagehard learn or Japanese
Languagehard learn 2. Are you going or is he? nǐ qù hái shi tā qù ? 你 去 还 是 他 去 ? sentence sentence you go or he goes
1. by adding a particle 吗 at the end of a declarative senetence:
Declarative sentence + “吗”
2. by repeating the first verb of the verb phrase in affirmative and negative form:
verb + not (不/没） + verb
3. by using 是否.
谢谢， thank you so much for your useful and nice website to learn chinese language
Hi Heba,
Thanks to you also for visiting my website. I hope you like my website.
Hi Min Min!
I am new to the site and I am enjoying the lessons very much. I did notice a problem with the second question you provided regarding the tea.
2. Do you want to drink black tea or jasmine tea?
nǐ yào hē hóng chá hái shi huā chá ?
你 要 喝 红 茶 还 是 花 茶 ?
noun phrase noun phrase
you want drink black tea or jasmine tea
hóng ( 红 ) is red not black. I would not have caught that except my fiancee’s name is Yuhong (Hong hong) (xiao hong).
Hi Sichuan red,
Thanks for visiting my website.
In Chinese, black tea is ” 红 茶 ” (which literally means ‘red’ tea). And we do not say 黑 (black) 茶.
I do not really know the reason why English called it ‘black’ and Chinese called it ‘red’ (红) for the same tea.