还是
A-or-B Questions — 还是
Overview
还是 (háishì) creates alternative (A-or-B) questions — asking the listener to choose between two options. Unlike 吗 questions (open yes/no), 还是 questions already present the possible answers. It is also used in statements meaning “still” or “or” — this page covers the question use only.
Pattern(s)
| Pattern | Notes |
|---|---|
[Option A] + 还是 + [Option B]？ | Choice question; no 吗 added |
Subject + Verb + [A] + 还是 + [B]？ | Full sentence with verb |
Do not add 吗 to a 还是 question. 还是 itself signals the question type.
Core Examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你要茶还是咖啡？ | Nǐ yào chá háishì kāfēi? | Do you want tea or coffee? |
| 你去还是他去？ | Nǐ qù háishì tā qù? | Are you going or is he going? |
| 你喜欢猫还是狗？ | Nǐ xǐhuān māo háishì gǒu? | Do you like cats or dogs? |
| 我们走路还是坐车？ | Wǒmen zǒulù háishì zuò chē? | Should we walk or take a car? |
| 这是你的还是他的？ | Zhè shì nǐ de háishì tā de? | Is this yours or his? |
Pitfalls
❌ Adding 吗 at the end of a 还是 question
你要茶还是咖啡吗？ ❌ 你要茶还是咖啡？ ✅ 还是 already marks it as a question — 吗 is redundant and sounds unnatural.
❌ Confusing 还是 (or / choice) with 或者 (or / statement)
- 还是 is for questions: 你喝茶还是咖啡？
- 或者 (huòzhě) is for statements: 你可以喝茶或者咖啡。(You can drink tea or coffee.)
Minimal Pairs
| 还是 (háishì) | 或者 (huòzhě) | |
|---|---|---|
| Use | Questions (choose one) | Statements (either is fine) |
| Example | 你要茶还是咖啡？ | 你可以喝茶或者咖啡。 |
| Can add 吗? | No | N/A |
Drills
Fill in 还是 or 或者:
- 你喜欢夏天___冬天？
- 周末你可以来___下周来。
- 你坐飞机___坐火车去北京？
- 你要大杯___小杯？
- 他可以用中文___英文回答。
Answer Key: 1. 还是 2. 或者 3. 还是 4. 还是 5. 或者
Notes
- 还是 in statements (not questions) means “still” (他还是不来 — he still won’t come) or “had better” (你还是早点去吧 — you’d better go early). Context and intonation distinguish these uses.
- When answering a 还是 question, you simply state the chosen option: 茶。or 我要咖啡。
Sources
- HSK Level: 1 (also tested: HSK 2)
- Mandarin Grammar References — Questions chapter