还是 (háishì) is used in Chinese to provide options in a **question**.
This is equivalent to one of our uses of "or" in English.

Simplest Form
-------------

### Structure

<div class="jiegou">
Option A + 还是 + Option B ?

</div>
When you're asked a question of this form, there are two ways you're
expected to answer: either Option A or Option B. (Pick one, but not
both.) It's not that no other answers are possible, it's that usually
when you're asked a question this way, the person asking expects you to
just choose one. For example, if asked if you'd like to drink coffee or
tea, most people are going to choose one or the other, not ask for both.
还是 (háishì) is used to ask people to make that choice between the two.

### Examples

<div class="liju">
-   <strong>我</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>他</strong> ？
    <span class="pinyin"><strong>Wǒ</strong> <em>háishì</em>
    <strong>tā?</strong></span><span class="trans">Me or him?</span>
-   <strong>一 个</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>两 个</strong> ？
    <span class="pinyin"><strong>Yī gè</strong> <em>háishì</em>
    <strong>liǎng gè</strong>?</span><span class="trans">One or
    two?</span>
-   <strong>辣 的</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>不 辣
    的</strong>？<span class="pinyin"><strong>Là de</strong>
    <em>háishì</em> <strong>bù là
    de</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Spicy or non-spicy?</span>
-   <strong>冰 的</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>热
    的</strong>？<span class="pinyin"><strong>Bīng de</strong>
    <em>háishì</em> <strong>rè
    de</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Cold or hot?</span>
-   <strong>上海</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>北京</strong> ？
    <span class="expl">The eternal China expat question! Choose
    wisely...</span><span class="pinyin"><strong>Shànghǎi</strong>
    <em>háishì</em>
    <strong>Běijīng?</strong></span><span class="trans">Shanghai or
    Beijing?</span>

</div>
Full Sentence Form
------------------

### Structure

You can take the structure above, add a subject and a verb, and create
all kinds of questions with the following structure:

<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Verb + Option A + 还是 + Option B ?

</div>
### Examples

<div class="liju">
-   这 是 <strong>水</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>酒</strong> ？
    <span class="pinyin">Zhè shì <strong>shuǐ </strong> <em>háishì</em>
    <strong>jiǔ</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Is this water or
    alcohol?</span>
-   他 是 <strong>美国 人</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>英国
    人</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Tā shì <strong>Měiguó rén
    </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>Yīngguó
    rén</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Is he American or
    British?</span>
-   你 喜欢 <strong>我</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>我 的 钱</strong>
    ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ xǐhuan <strong>wǒ </strong>
    <em>háishì</em> <strong>wǒ de
    qián</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you like me or my
    money?</span>
-   你 要 喝 <strong>茶</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>咖啡</strong> ？
    <span class="pinyin">Nǐ yào hē <strong>chá</strong> <em>háishì</em>
    <strong>kāfēi</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want to
    drink tea or coffee?</span>
-   你们 想 吃 <strong>中国 菜</strong> <em>还是</em> <strong>法国
    菜</strong> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen xiǎng chī <strong>Zhōngguó
    cài </strong> <em>háishì</em> <strong>Fǎguó
    cài</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Do you want to eat Chinese
    food or French food?</span>

</div>
Please note that 还是 (háishì) is for offering options in a
**question**. It should not be used for ["or" in
statements](Expressing_"or"_in_statements "wikilink").

See also
--------

-   ["Or" in statements]("Or"_in_statements "wikilink")
-   ["Had better" with "haishi"]("Had_better"_with_"haishi" "wikilink")
-   [Providing two options with double
    "huozhe"](Providing_two_options_with_double_"huozhe" "wikilink")

Sources and Further Reading
---------------------------

### Books

-   [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1
    (3rd ed)](Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed) "wikilink") (pp.
    76-7,
    257-8)　[→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385)
-   [New Practical Chinese Reader
    1 (新实用汉语课本1)](New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_1_(新实用汉语课本1) "wikilink") (p.
    179)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561910401)
-   [New Practical Chinese Reader 1
    (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed)](New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_1_(新实用汉语课本1)(2nd_ed) "wikilink") (pp.
    206-7, 251)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561926235/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7561926235)
-   [40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course
    (基础汉语40课上册）](40_Lessons_for_Basic_Chinese_Course_(基础汉语40课上册） "wikilink") (p.
    125)[→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20)

### Websites

-   Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: [Comparing 还是 and
    或者](http://comet.cls.yale.edu/chineseusagedictionary/0213.html)

 5.md

[Category:A1 grammar points](Category:A1_grammar_points "wikilink")